Two Years of Junked Groove: A Compilation That Celebrates Underground Diversity
Junked Groove turns two and marks the occasion the right way: with fourteen tracks that map the territory between deep house, garage, broken beat and more reflective club textures. Two Years of Junked Groove is an honest document of the current state of dance music away from the mainstream, where each artist brings a genuine perspective without sacrificing dancefloor functionality.
The compilation opens strong with Martha Dark's «No Way», a 133 BPM track that combines percussive drumwork with processed vocals and relentless tension. Javonntte follows with «Just the Drums», a minimalist house exercise at 132 BPM where the title says it all — pure groove, no unnecessary ornaments. The temperature drops with YOQO's «Solo Runner» (99 BPM), a broken beat/downtempo cut that introduces air and contrast into the sequence.
Levity Point delivers the EP's longest track, «Speed Legend» (7:21, 126 BPM), a deep house journey with analogue synthesis layers that unfold patiently. Kane Sonder offers «Saturn House», perhaps the most evocative moment on the release, with a 128 BPM groove that oscillates between the cosmic and the physical.
Highlights and Standout Moments
- «Untitled Beam» – MB4: 7:28 minutes of hypnotic house at 125 BPM. The track that best represents the label's philosophy: rhythmic discipline and timbral richness in equal measure.
- «Holešovice So Far» – MONOGUM: At 90 BPM, the most unusual and the boldest cut. Ambient textures, fragmented rhythm and an atmosphere that evokes the industrial districts after which the track is named.
- «Deeper & Deeper» – Mr Cozzo: 6:36 of classic house with Chicago/Detroit references, executed with contemporary elegance.
- «Brooklyn Beat» – The Pintauro Brothers: A perfect closer — compact, effective, with that NY flavour that connects the compilation to its roots.
Taken together, Two Years of Junked Groove confirms that the label has taste, identity and, most importantly, artists with something to say. Essential listening for selectors seeking quality material outside the conventional circuit.
