The best way to combat the Sunday Scaries is with a delicious Sunday Funday celebration and a fire playlist that will help you forget how much you hate Mondays.
Yeah, but what is deep house?
Deep house is a style of house music known for having a lower tempo (usually between 110 and 125 BMP), soulful vocals, and ambient mixes, with an artful fusion of the four-on-the-floor traditional house beat and jazz-funk-inspired harmonies and bass lines. And, so many of the best deep house tracks have the notable punchy sound characteristic of the 1980s Roland TR-909 drum machine.
One of the best things about deep house is that it is just as much at home on the beach as in bars and nightclubs.
Fire up the grill, plug in your speakers, and invite your friends
We have a solid playlist of chill, easy-listening tracks that you’ll find me listening to (and not just on Sundays).
And, before you ask, this deep house playlist is the perfect combination of smooth, soulful vocals and jazzy undertones, and funk-fueled, hard-hitting beats.
We start in the late 1980s with Rhythm Controll’s “My House,” dance about in the 2000s with some of my favorites from Stimming, Oliver Dollar, and Kyle Watson (to name a few), and make it right back to today with Dilby’s May release, “Remember Me.”
My House was originally released in 1987 by Catch A Beat Records. These vocals are (likely) better known from Larry Heard (Mr. Finger)’s use of them on his 1988 re-release of ‘Can U Feel It.’ There are more than a few mixes that use these iconic vocals as backing, not to mention sampled by artists an infinite number of times.
Anyone who has more than a passing love for house music can recognize this track in a heartbeat.
35 years later and it still slaps.
Stimming‘s ‘The Song’ was released in 1999 on his Window Shopping EP, but I can just about guarantee you’ve heard this track (or at least a sample of it). And this track is truly characteristic of Stimming’s far from ordinary, but always original, sound.
Stimming himself said, “I’m neither afraid of showing my emotions nor afraid to include them in my music.”
This track, in particular, always hits me right in the feels (in the best way possible). So, naturally, it had to be included in our Sunday Funday playlist.
‘Bringing You Down,’ released in 2013 by French Express, slowly builds up to this rhythmic and energizing experience that hits deep af. In an interview with us back in 2016, Jonas described his essence as “gin fueled melodic dance floor moments from Sweden” and that just about sums it up.
‘Cream,’ released in 2012, is a disco-esque take on the traditional deep house vibe.
Claptone, DJ and producer duo most recognizable by their gold plague doctor-style masks, are veiled in mystery, which makes their music that much juicer.
Plus, who doesn’t love a good mystery to discuss whilst smoking with friends?
Oliver Dollar has become a house name in house music (pun intended). And in 2014, he teamed up with Jimi Jules, the Swiss Jazz house aficionado, for the release of ‘Pushing On’ by Defected Records. The track was #1 on the Beatport Top 100 for over a month and peaked at #15 on the UK Singles Chart, and for good reason.
It was an instant classic, opening with this infectious, tropical meledy and building to a fresh blend of that jazzy soulful funk that first came out of Chicago.
Moon Boots has quite the badass origin story. Born in Brooklyn, went to university, moved to Chicago, released his first track as Moon Boots for French Express, signed with Anjunadeep, and has trekked around the world, sprinkling memorable (and funky) everywhere he goes.
‘Whatever You Need’ was released back in 2014 and, yes, is still relevant today. It’s a beat that you can feel in your soul, smoothly draped with vocals that (probably) understand you better than your partner.
