Beatport Best New Deep House

We’re super excited to present this third slice of exclusive and brand new music from friends and family of the label. We hope you love these big orange slabs of vinyl as much as we do.
Volume 3 takes another deep dive into the diverse range of styles that we love here at SB. Ranging from disco and soul tinged house, to ambient and deep house goodness to raunchy acid and techy stompers. Everything you would expect to hear at any one of our parties.
As always a huge thank you to all the incredible artists who’ve contributed to this edition. These wouldn’t happen without you…
Now grab your mates, stick these tunes on loud, and DANCE!
Conor, Danny, Ken and Pat x

Philippa - Chet's Vibe

The Sands Of Time Are Full Of New Beginnings...

Fifteen years on from the launch of Don’t Be Afraid, Semtek returns with four stripped-back, propulsive house dubs, continuing the label’s rich history of instinctive and forward-thinking dance music.

Opening track “Elements VIP” combines bumping 909s, swirling Detroit-inspired pads and deep bass into a hefty house roller. “Bubble Science” is a headier trip, weaving organ chords through a mesh of percussion and laser pulses, before “Northern Lights” slows the tempo and deepens the mood, with synths and vocals layered over a slinky after-hours chug. “Focus Pull” closes the EP with sinuous rhythms, offbeat snares and cowbells pulling irresistibly against a winding bass line.

It’s a fluid and varied selection of styles, reflecting the fact that Don’t Be Afraid has always been built around intuition and chance.

When he founded the label in 2010, Semtek only intended to put out a handful of records: instead, a set of early demos from Mr Beatnick (and the public reaction to them when they were released) convinced him that it was something worth persevering with.

From those first releases, Don’t Be Afraid grew to become one of the best loved underground club imprints in the UK, putting out music from Ikonika, rRoxymore, Karen Gwyer, MGUN, DJ Bone (under his Differ-ent alias), Neville Watson and many others, pushing musical boundaries and earning widespread acclaim throughout the 2010s and early 2020s.

Based in the UK, Semtek has worked as a DJ and producer since the late 90s, putting out mixes and releases for Don’t Be Afraid, World Unknown, Rubadub, FACT Magazine and L.I.E.S. as well as for Liftin’ Spirit, Ulterior Motives, The Trilogy Tapes, Blackest Ever Black and Berceuse Heroique under his DJ Persuasion alias.

A loose sequel to his Four Dubs EP from 2017, Four More Dubs is entirely in keeping with the improvisational, unpredictable and deeply human approach which has defined Semtek’s career: connecting to the past, pointing to the future, returning Don’t Be Afraid to the fray, and reminding us that when we’re at our best, we’re still dancers at heart. 


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Running Back Mastermix: Deetron

Solution (Mixed)

https://liquidluvediscs.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-the-mood

@djbalaton
@lqldiscs

Premiere : DJ Balaton - Reso 02 (LQLDISC01)

After a feature on last year’s VA Family Affair comp, Tokyo-based producer Yuu Udagawa drops her first solo EP on Razor-N-Tape. With releases on Freerange and Compost under her belt, Yuu has been developing a subtle and moody deep house sound that she displays across the 3 original songs of the Urban Physicality EP. Each track vibrates with dark chordal textures, pulsating drums and chopped vocal samples, beautifully layered to develop and slowly build. To round out the record, Takuya Matsumoto turns in a throbbing late-nite remix of the EP’s title track, with a tougher drum profile, cavernous bass and masterful sound design.

02 - Yuu Udagawa - Recollection (12” Mix) [Razor-N-Tape]

Dam Swindle’s new ‘Backyard Galaxy’ EP is an ode to house music and the classic Swindle sound. 

It’s only been a few months since Dam Swindle released their highly acclaimed album “Open” and already the boys are back on Heist with a new release that takes you right back to the dancefloor. Where they’ve spent the better part of the last 3 years writing their album with all its sonic explorations and collabs, this new EP sees the duo return to their roots of club-ready house music. The ‘Backyard Galaxy’ EP comes with 4 high-energy house tracks made in their Amsterdam studio that have been road-tested all summer.

EP opener “Feel it much?” has all the ingredients of a classic Swindle heater, with warm pads, rich organic percussion and tons of soul. There’s a simple and effective vocal running throughout the track that blends nicely with the classic house elements and electronic textures that are layered throughout the track. There’s an effortless flow to this track and it comes as no surprise that it has been a highlight in their sets this summer. 

The EP title track ‘Backyard Galaxy’ is an up-tempo Latin-themed jam with a hint of old school techno.  The synth stabs hit you just right and the modulated vocal chops are a lovely boost for the build ups and add a touch of swing to a track that already has a tight  groove. Add to that a huge breakdown and drum roll and you’ve got yourself a track that’ll light up any dancefloor.

On the flip, we’re moving into garage territory with the shuffling vibes of ‘Rhythm Baby’. The current popularity of the genre is not missed on Dam Swindle, but when you look closely, you’ll see this track is full of elements that the duo have built their legacy on. The vocal chops, transposed key samples and swing are all on point and work just as well below, as above 130 bpm if speed is your thing.

The EP closes with the NY-style house cut ‘What you give’, which reminds us of Dam Swindle’s remix of Cinthie’s Heist hit ‘Won’t U take me’ with its lush organs and moody keys. It’s perhaps the most classic house track they’ve made in a long time and you can hear they had a great time recording this. It’s playful, vibey and catchy. Just the way we like it.  

Dam Swindle might have delivered one of the standout cross-over albums of 2025, but on this EP the message is clear: Once a househead, always a househead.

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud! 

Much love, 
Heist HQ  

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