Italy’s Sam Ruffillo rocks Toy Tonics. Greece’s Steve Mill has a soulful message on Simples. Portuguese duo Cisco Cisco create classic disco for Apersonal. Hi Fi Sean delivers a summer anthem. Ron Trent shows off his jazz-fusion chops on Rush Hour. Session Victim “Defy Gravity” with Delusions Of Grandeur. Dominic Cappello pays techno tribute to Detroit, care of Cyphon. Canopy reissue a couple of cool cuts by Cameroonian legend Eco Roosevelt. Razor-n-Tape have new offerings from both Yuksek and Nomi Ruiz. Nightsteppaz wanna Vibe You To The Moon. 

Super selections and wonderful words by our favourite four-to-the-floor expert, The Insider. 

SAM RUFFILLO / HOUSE TIPO COSI / TOY TONICS

Italian Sam Ruffillo is back on the ever-charming Toy Tonics label with an effortlessly cool new house gem, House Tipo Così. It’s his first single with vocals in his native language since 2022 and they lend it a breezy, exotic vibe, making it perfect for summer. Forming a spoken bridge, his words ooze seductive charm while Spanish guitar, cosmic synth solos and warm, rolling and soulful drums all carry the whole caboodle along. Frankly, it’s exactly the sort of tune that needs to be heard under a blazing sun, with a cocktail in hand, somewhere Mediterranean.

STEVE MILL / CAN’T GO BACK / SIMPLES

Greece’s Steve Mill has established his Simples label as a tasteful outlet for classic house. It’s output is musical, deep, accomplished material for discerning ears and his latest release is a personal and soulful cut with a proper message. The elegantly delivered vocals are an empowering reminder to push on in the face of adversity and hark back to the proper songwriting of house music’s earliest days. Around them, supple drums and nice dusty percussion form a perfect foundation to help move you physically as well as emotionally. It’s a timeless, contemporary sound with a healthy respect for the genre’s history.  

CISCO CISCO / THE HEAT / APERSONAL

Portuguese duo Cisco Cisco have been a core part of Barcelona-based Apersonal Music for a while. Known for serving up sun-soaked house, they flex hard on this new EP. Opener ‘Why Can’t I Be You?‘ drips with classic disco soul, as lush grooves and string hooks worm their way into your affections. ‘The Heat‘ layers dirty bass riffs and camp energy, while ‘Under the Bridge’ – a filter-heavy stomp – oozes loopy French Touch charm. Ron Basejam then draws out that opener into an acid-laced, slow burning nu-disco odyssey, while Rayko flips ‘The Heat‘ into something for when the sun sets, the party heads indoors and late-night vitality takes over. No fluff, straight fire.

HIFI SEAN / WAITING FOR THE SUN / PLASTIQUE

Summer’s arrived, which means most of us just want to hear music as joyous as a glorious day rejoicing under beaming sun rays. Enter Hifi Sean with on Waiting For The Sun, the most positive and uplifting new single we’ve heard in a while. Inspired by a “nursery rhyme style phrase” that looped in his head while walking his dog, Sean spent a year developing the refrain into a full-blown song, working with various musicians and singers. It’s a chest out, strident disco-house sound, that full of hope and awash with soaring harmonies, heart-swelling keys and ecstatic vibes. Various mixes rework it for early mornings or late-night settings. What a doozy!

RON TRENT / LIFT OFF / RUSH HOUR

Ron Trent is back touring the world after a long time spent only in the US. To mark the event he’s also dropped one of his most adventurous albums yet. The revered deep house pioneer has for a good while now has been casting his musical net much wider than the genre he helped perfect, and here he really shows his range with everything from slow-jams to jazz-fusion, sunset-grooves to boogie heaters and weighty beatdown. The set’s defined by his masterful production and several legendary guests, from Jungle Wonz’s Harry Dennis to Trent’s long-time inspiration, Leroy Burgess. Brimming with spiritual soul and absorbing atmospheres, Lift Off is a life-affirming listen from a true Windy City great. 

SESSION VICTIM / SIDEQUESTS CHAPTER ONE /  DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR

German duo Session Victim have always aimed to elevate house way above mere club-tool status. They’re talented multi-instrumentalists who can speak several musical languages, and blend them into something new and essential. On this latest EP, there’s the woozy house charm of ‘Pusle Of Memory‘ to kick off with, where a Frits Wentink remix further injects some playful bonus garage bounce. ‘The Unheard’, full of whimsical melodies, gets you nostalgic for romantic nights gone by, while ‘Defy Gravity‘ is a stoner soundtrack for laying back and gazing at stars on a balmy night. ‘Sometimes‘ then casts you off into orbit with live drums and pensive basslines.

DOMENIC CAPPELLO / GALACTIC PRAISE / CYPHON RECORDINGS

Domenic ‘the don’ Cappello is back, and, on this new EP, paying tribute to the techno that’s inspired him since he started out. Using his signature synth design excellence, he puts a fresh twist on the classic Motor City sound. ‘Dat Ting‘ opens up with far-sighted cosmic chords before coalescing around a rubbery bassline. ‘Niamh’s Song‘ has synths that flutter like tin foil in a cool breeze, as the groove locks you in place. ‘Galactic Praise‘ is a bumping, deep space adventure, while maybe the best of the lot comes at the end with ‘Neon Skyline’. Capturing those late-night urban feels as you cruise through some imaginary metropolis in the year 3000.

EKO ROOSEVELT / PHONE ME TONIGHT & TAKE ME AS I AM NOW / CANOPY

Eko Roosevelt is a Cameroonian vocal and piano legend. The son of a tribal chief, who fell in love with music while at  church, he headed out on his own path in the mid-70s.  Over the next decade or so he brought plenty of joy with his impassioned Afro-disco grooves, marbled with funk and pop flavours. Canopy’s reissue of Roosevelt’s ‘Phone Me Tonight‘ and ‘Take Me As I Am Now‘ shines a fresh light on his career. The former lifts spirits with catchy hooks, groovy bass and euphoric synths, perfect for somewhere like Barbarella’s in Croatia. Meanwhile, the flip charms with warm vocals and sunny, strummed guitars, plus a meandering bassline that melts the heart. Pure feel-good and positive international magic.  

YUKSEK / DEJA VOUS / RAZOR-N-TAPE

Some producers just hit different and Yuksek is one of them. His ability to pack his tunes with emotion is up there with the best, which makes the always vibey Razor-N-Tape a perfect fit. This new one is an all-original package of contemporary disco, starring with ‘She’s Mine‘, with its golden vocals – care of Iassac Delusion – and rubbery Italo baseline. ‘All Night‘ is then alive with disco fireworks, swirling filters and sexy horns, a match made in heaven for loved-up floors. Brazilian producer Diogo Strausz adds some Latin heat to the title cut, which has a retro-future lead and drunken bass. This is sophisticated disco of the highest order. 

NIGHTSTEPPAZ / WANT ME / VIBE ME TO THE MOON 

Nightsteppaz continues to establish his New York label Vibe Me To The Moon as an authoritative imprint in new school house. His new single, ’Want Me‘, is smouldering and deep. Its ascending cosmic arps bringing a grand sense of scale, over the heavyweight drums, while a perfect R&B hook tugs at the heartstrings. French don Franck Roger remixes ghetto track to perfection. His version is smoother and more supple, riding a wave of funky bass and an ass-wiggling groove. Teasing the dancefloor with a sensuous vocal that flits in and out of focus — just enough to hint at a wild weekend ahead. Equal parts cheeky and seductive, it’s pure dancefloor flirtation.

NOMI RUIZ & ELI ESCOBAR / LOVE LOUDER / RAZOR-N-TAPE 

Eli Escobar and Nomi Ruiz reunite for a raw, soulful new full-length story, rooted in grief, resilience and NYC underground spirit. From club heaters like ‘Heathens‘ to the freestyle-tinged, impassioned 80s electro gem, ‘Full Fantasy’, this isn’t just a dance record— it’s a tribute. Written through personal loss, including the passing of longtime collaborator DJ BluJemz, and inspired by the memory of Gabriela Mejia (after whom Eli named his Brooklyn nightspot), this music is heaped with memory and meaning. Ruiz’s vocals cut deep on the title track, while ‘Go Be Gone‘ mourns a city in ever increasing flux. Love Louder is a eulogy, a celebration and a refusal to forget old friends.