Joey Kay - Altered Tempos - Troubled Kids Records

Seasoned Chicago-based producer Joey Kay has been in the game for more than 20 years now but the last few have seen him in the form of his life. Outstanding appearances on the likes of My Love Is Underground, Minuendo, Série Limitée and his own label Stylistic have made him a man in demand.

His latest release, the Altered Tempos EP for super Spanish imprint Troubled Kids, will only raise his stock even further.

Gloriously straddling that line between the deep and the funk is the wonderful opener One-Eighteen. Brim full of the kind of atmosphere and feeling that many would-be producers can only ponder, it is a lesson in how to do deep house to encourage both dancing and listening in equal part.

Off The Deep End (Kay and Lo-Ki’s edit) is the Chicagoan doing just that as he strips the track back to basics. Bassy, beefy and with a touch of the Mike Huckaby’s about it, it is certain to be pounding a basement bash near you any day now.

As with the EP opener, Black Hat is house music of the more soulful, funky and highly-danceable kind. Delightful in the extreme, an inspirational groovy piano in tow, chunky deep chords too and with an optimistic air, an ‘on repeat’ tune if ever there was.

Providing quality until the very last drop is Reverser (Edit no. 4). Dripping with soul and wrapped in emotion, Kay nails this deep house thang to the floor.

Brad P - Inner Visions - Inner Shift Music

It says much about an artist’s ability, especially in the house and techno arena where the Ep whether it be vinyl or digital is king, when he or she can stretch their work across the length of an album without a dip in quality. No filler, no padding, no unnecessary noodling. 

Brad P [aka Brad Peterson] has managed just that with his debut album Inner Visions on the lovely Inner Shift label he runs jointly with partner Rai Scott. But then it probably comes as no surprise to those that know as the American artist now settled in Edinburgh is something of a producers’ producer and an underground favourite these days amongst those heads that keep a canny ear to the ground.

In a recording career stretching back to the turn of the Millennium both solo or in partnership with Scott as 2DeepSoul and encompassing labels such as Altered Moods, Minuendo, Moods & Grooves and Yore, Peterson has gradually built a loyal following devoted to his deep, lush grooves and ethereal vibes inspired by the early house and techno pioneers, notably the one and only Larry Heard.

Until now though Peterson’s work has been confined to a string of must-have Eps on vinyl. With Inner Visions, however, he has been able to cut loose and skilfully shape his ideas across an eight-track digital album supported by an essential four-track colour-marbled vinyl release of the same name.

Whichever option you plump for though it is nevertheless a case of satisfaction guaranteed. Quality is always key with Peterson. Album highlights are in no short supply, from the perky house/techno hybrid opener Don’t You Know to the über-chilled Slow Walker and from the truly-inspired future jazz of Light Years to the more abstract and intriguing Polyphony Trip, Peterson is a man on form right now.

No filler, no padding, no noodling? No way. That’s not Peterson’s style.


CHECK OUT: Inner Visions by Brad P on Inner Shift Music here.

Brad P - Inner Visions - Inner Shift Music

Brad Peterson is one of those producers who can do no wrong in my eyes. Or should that be ears? Either way, his solo and collaborative track record over more than a decade with Minuendo, Moods & Grooves, Yore et al speaks for itself and his output on his own label Inner Shift Music is just as tidy.

Indeed, the Inner Visions EP, his first solo venture for the imprint he runs with partner Rai Scott, is not only a fine record but also a snapshot of what Peterson is all about.

The opening track is perhaps everything you might expect from a cut called Light Years. It’s ethereal and spaced-out deep house, the kind of thing Peterson does exceptionally well at the best of times anyway but here he is at his most excellent. In the hands of lesser artists the ‘otherworldly’ vibe can sound hackneyed but not so with the quietly-spoken American, who works at a higher level than most in this field and who always imbues his music with a hefty dose of soul. It’s what separates the wheat from the chaff in this game.

Whereas Light Years is bright, brash and jazzy, Slow Walker is much more introspective. A brooding, slow-burning ‘heads down’ of a track fashioned beautifully by Peterson for those darker moments. Take U There is Brad P on something of a jazz-funk tip, albeit within the parameters still of his take on the cosmic deep house oeuvre. Whale Cry, meanwhile, brings the journey to a suitably calming conclusion and augurs well for the man’s forthcoming album.