This week's House update is up and online now at Primalrecords.com --new releases, exclusive white labels, and a massive restock from Phil Weeks' Robsoul Recordings label just in time for his exclusive West Coast appearance at Primal's Get Underground! party this weekend. More on that later; for now, here's the hitlist:

DAVID DURIEZ "Can You Feel It?" (Original, Bobby Peru, and Lion I Mxs) Robsoul This week's top pick is also Robsoul's latest release from fellow Parisian house maestro David Duriez. If you still think French house is relegated to the Dmitris and Daft Punks of the country, think again. "Can You Feel It?" is proper funky acid house that is equally uninhibited and elegantly sophisticated. Lion I gives the original a quality dub re-rub, but the mix that I'm championing belongs to 20/20 Vision player Bobby Peru. Freaky Prince-like synth play underneath a four-to-the-floor kick with spring in its step and a woofer-blowing bass line that will essentially own any dancefloor. This is what it sounds like to be undeniable.

http://www.robsoulrecordings.com

TONY, CHUS & CEBALLOS "Got The Strength" (Original & Hipp-E Mxs) Nightshift Promo Three of house music's most exciting producers team up for a brilliant 3-track EP--here on exclusive white label only. Bay Area DJ/producer Tony Hewitt meets Spanish production team Chus & Ceballos for "Got The Strength," an appropriately titled tech-tribal cut that remains true to each of the individual producer's aesthetics without bowing down to any of them. H-Foundation member and Nightshift co-owner Hipp-E gives the track a deep and dubby workout for versatile play, while Tony, Chus & Ceballos work out a latenight dub of their own that trades the original's beefy percussion for funky bass power.

http://www.tangorecordings.com

ERIC DAVENPORT & TWENTY TWELVE "Long Time Now" (Original & Hatiras Mxs)
Jamayka Promo Chicago upstarts Jamayka Recordings manage another coup with their third solid release in as many months. Following the success of recent releases for Mazi and Tony Thomas, the label presents this 4-track EP from Red Menace regulars Eric Davenport and Twenty Twelve--again, another white label exclusive at Primalrecords.com. "Long Time Now" is a driving dose of sample-heavy filtered house that is expertly clean and compelling, while its alternate mixes find inspiration from the original's disco flavor one one side and manage to extract a deeper, almost-ethereal dub on the other. IHR resident Hatiras, meanwhile, weaves the thread between all 3 mixes and hands in a deep house remix with dancefloor-climax bite. Early support from DJ Dan and Vitamin D is already in; your early support is imminent, but as always, these promos are first-come, first-serve.

UNDERCOVER AGENCY "Paperlove" LP 2x12" Seasons Recordings Fewer deep house duos can claim more anticipation and high regard than that of Lance Desardi & JT Donaldson. Hot on the heels of the "Flow" and "Adentro" EPs, the madly prolific Undercover Agency present Paperlove--their very first full-length LP for Seasons. Eight new tracks over 2 plates including the deep and sexy "2 is One," the high-velocity (and Earth, Wind & Fire-influenced) "Live, From The Mind," and "Shades"--a fresh collaboration with long-time vocalist/contributor DJ Colette--and that's just the first disc. Ambitious and successful, Paperlove is proof that house albums need not contain 3 singles and a plate of filler. These are diverse and quality tracks from top to bottom.

http://www.seasonsrecordings.com

Also in this week is new remix and production work from Rob Mello, Home & Garden, Rithma, Jonene, Audio Soul Project, DJ Garth, Onionz & Master D, Souldoubt, Yann Fontaine, and exclusive white label copies on the new Tony Thomas EP for Tango. Label releases from Classic, Life Music, NRK, DIY Discs, Hi-Phen, Shaboom, and Freaked are also in, as are hot restock music from Dufflebag, Estereo, and the aforementioned Robsoul.

Finally, local friends are invited to come out to this month's Get Underground! party, which will also serve as a Primal record release party for the Affiliated Drums EP by Fries & Bridges. Well, okay, actually the record won't be out and available in stores until the end of August, but exclusive pre-release white labels will be in-store and online next week. The party goes off this Friday, July 12th, and will feature a tag-team DJ set from Fries & Bridges' Hector Moralez & Phil Weeks, as well as very special sets from Wally Callerio (Dufflebag, Shaboom), Mark E. Quark (Facade, Seattle), our very own Rebecca Watkins, and Joe Harp (Music Box). The event is all-night, from 9PM to Sunrise, and pre-sale tickets are available at the Primal Records retail store on Parker Street in Berkeley. If you need information on the locale, call the info line at 415-364-3095.

That's it for now. Be good.

(Norman Arenas)