- One of the reasons why contemporary European deep house is so bland is that it's made by producers who until recently were churning out equally formulaic minimal techno and who have little understanding or feeling for house music's roots. It means that the productions are full of watered down beats and lame melodies and sound like poor replicas of classic records. However, there are a number of upcoming producers making great house music. US DJ Aakmael comes from a different background to most artists in this sphere and, the sometime hip-hop and R&B producer brings a fresh set of ears to the party.
While "Undrgrnd" is unashamed in its love of '90s house, it is produced with great warmth and depth. The track's lush chords and crisp beats sound like vintage Prescription/Guidance, "Music" features crowd noises and a woman talking about music's universal appeal, set to a plunging bass and, while "Imagine" has lush melodies, its dance floor effectiveness is guaranteed by Aakmael's raw beats. The only disappointment is closing track "Get Down," a drummy workout that goes nowhere and, like the work of many of the US DJ's peers, sounds like it was knocked out during Aakmael's lunch break.
Tracklist A1 Undrgrnd
A2 Imagine The Future
B1 Music
B2 Get Down