This week's first update is online now at Primalrecords.com, and with it, comes one of the two most anticipated full-length artist albums of the year. (The other, from Brett Johnson, is coming sooner than you think!) H-Foundation's debut, Environments, kicks off this week's list of must-have music:

H-FOUNDATION "Environments" LP 2x12" Soma [House, Tech-house] Having basically coined the current West Coast house sound, it was only a matter of time before H-Foundation's Halo and Hipp-E found themselves due for a reinvention. And what better way to showcase the sound of now than to make your debut artist album? Environments is a classic house music album that spans a variety of moods without going into the cerebral, dancefloor aversions that other producers have forayed into for a bid at so-called musical credibility. Instead, H-Foundation go from strength to strength within the house music template--deep, funky, vocal, techy, hard, organic. Even the album's one four-to-the-floor diversion, "Broken Arrow," finds itself on solid footing with a classy broken beat edge that recalls Swag or Bugz in the Attic at their finest. Of course, "New Funk Theory" is here, but equally as moving is the album's fierce opener "Sol Searchin'" or "Nature," a deep and spastic tech-houser held together by freaky bass freqs. If you're already a fan, this album will not disappoint. If you've never considered yourself a fan, hear again. This is definitely the beginning of something new.

www.somarecords.com

SUBLEVEL (DOC MARTIN) "L.A.D.M. / A Greater Life" White Label [House, Tech-house] Seminal house DJ Doc Martin steps back into the vinyl arena with the latest 2-track EP for the somewhat elusive Sublevel imprint/moniker, and you can just tell this is a man with history. "A Greater Life" is an incredible stab at modern disco, but my bet is on "L.A.D.M.," a classic acid house workout with all of the authentic watermarks of the sound--vintage vocal samples, early 808-styled sequencing, and a full-on acid trip to name a few things. We love it.

www.sublevelcalifornia.com

MAZI & LORI "The Curve" / "Keepin' It Unreal" (Bobby Peru's Explicit Dub) Brique Rouge Traxx [House, Tech-house] Chicago tech-house pioneer Mazi teams up with his partner Lori for another tough and tracky cut for the Brique Rouge stable. "The Curve" is dark and dirty business for peak-time affairs--tight programming, warm synth-washes, and a nice and bouncy b-line that comes in about halfway through, landing clear funk presence to cut through the darkness. On the flip, Bobby Peru and Paul Woolford give "Keepin' It Unreal" that tough and techy 20/20 Vision vibe, complete with dirty synth action, mental modulation, and a slight tribal edge.

www.briquerouge.com

METTA & JT LOVE "Chemise / The Method" Geek [House, Tribal, Tech-house] As the Bionic Bump Band, Metta & JT Love recently scored their first big hit for 20/20 Vision. Here, they stretch out their production wings for a slightly different sound, weaving UK tech-house with dubby tribal overtones. "Chemise" is a strong outing for the Fabric set, but I'm feeling "The Method," whose thumping sub-bass and atmospheric FX warrant a hypnotic, funky euphoria. With forthcoming releases from 20/20 and their own Flip-Flop imprint forthcoming later in the year, add these guys to your list of producers to watch.

www.geekrecords.co.uk

OIL & WATER "Floating On Top" (Original & G-Pal Mxs) Swift [Tech-house, Tribal, Progressive] Though I miss his Plastic City fare dearly, G-Pal has always had an ear for quality no matter what genre he finds himself working in. Case in point: The latest release for his own Swift label finds G-Pal remixing a decent, but not mind-blowing original, into a truly crucial addition to the tribal house canon. Impeccable production, rhapsodic synths, a deep and beefy b-line, and a transcendent melodic climax may sound like the earmarks of a big room prog cut, but G-Pal's deep-rooted techno history informs this work to adapt to a variety of contexts. Fantastic.

www.ucmgny.com

Also in this week is new production and remix work from Llorca & David Duriez, Dan X & Justin Long, The Little Men & Just Muzik, Marco Bellini, Bones & Rhodes, Big Hair, Olav Basoski, local progressive DJ Jonathan Ojeda's Suffix alias (remixed by Infusion), Mayaku, J. Moonchild, and much more.

New label output from Brique Rouge, Spundae, Alola, Red Ant, G-Swing, Royal Drums, U-Freq, Drop Music, and Plastica Red, among others, is also in.

On the hot restock tip, rediscover the first release from East Coast Boogiemen's Odds & Ends label, from SF folks Olivier Desmet & Chuck Diesel, here remixed by the Boogiemen themselves. Excellent stuff.

More new music on the way. Until then, be good.

(Norman Arenas)