Respect to DJ Deep

The Parisian DJ Deep has joined an illustrious crew of house DJs on the French club scene, which includes such eminences as Cassius, Romanthony, Daft Punk, and, of course, Dimitri From Paris (whose A Night at the Playboy Mansion was a big hit in 2000). As part of the Respect Is Burning posse, he spins at hip joints like the Bar Rhumba in London and Twilo in New York, and this album is intended to be a sort of microcosmic version (clocking in at a mere 78 minutes) of one of his club sets. House fans will not be disappointed. Although the program starts off badly, with Chevelle singing painfully flat on Kerri Chandler's "I'm Not Dreaming," things pick up quickly: Osunlade's "Cantos a Ochan & Oya" is a brilliant combination of urban and Afro-Cuban sounds, and the Lil Louis mix of Kimara Lovelace's "Misery" reworks the original single beautifully, placing the bassline front and center and incorporating a subtly sliding drum part at the end of each four-bar phrase. Little Louie Vega and Blaze collaborate beautifully on the retro-soulful "Elements of Life" and, at the end, Chandler redeems himself on the fine instrumental "Winter's Blessing." Recommended, even to those who don't think they care for house music.