Four years on from the second volume, DJ Deep now releases the latest instalment in his underground house series on BBE Records. Subtitled as a “journey through Chicago, Detroit and New York’s secret house gems”, Deep has certainly done some crate digging to come up with a mix of classic electronic dance music, with a slight twist. It’s Deep’s personal interpretation of dance music’s history, rather than a straightforward ‘greatest hits’ of those cities, and it’s that personal touch that makes it so appealing.

Some of the selections are wilfully obscure, but that’s what makes it so great. Familiarity breeds contempt, but there’s little chance of that applying here (unless of course you spin it over and over again, which is a possibility). Instead, we get a first-class education in tracks that have slipped through the cracks of EDM history, lovingly presented in an engaging new context, combined with some newer material that references the sounds of the past.

So rather than a straight-up presentation of purely old stuff, Deep has attempted to create a classic house vibe, utilising some more contemporary tracks that tip their hat to the sounds of Chicago house and Detroit techno. The first time I listened to this it was like being transported back to the late ‘80s, and a world of Roland 303s and 808s.

The mix commences with the layered percussive textures of Dee Dee Brave’s Feel The Breeze, which provides a somewhat dark and ghostly introductory sequence alongside the tribal-esque Ben Klock remix of house legend Kerri Chandler’s Pong. Redshape’s The Box represents the first inclusion of a contemporary track that recreates an older sound, in this case the delicate synth melody and drum machine rhythms conjuring up a classic Chicago house feel. Similarly, the dark erotic tones of XTC 4 Luv from Traxx will transport you back to the ‘80s, and by this point, it’s clear DJ Deep is set on taking us on a, well, deep and intense musical journey.

In an alluringly sublime moment, Deep drops Project Democracy’s classic Chicago house cut Is This Dream For Real?. Featuring a beautiful female vocal, it should be in the collection of any self-respecting EDM fan. A little further in, it’s a sharp left turn into the energetic hip-house of Kool Rock Steady’s I’ll Make You Dance, and then we’re thrown into the sensual sonic erotica of K.A Posse’s Tell Alexi, which in an inspired piece of sequencing flows into the subtle, bubbling funk of Gentry Ice’s Utilise The Beat to lend the mix an irresistibly huge groove. Proceedings then begin to wind down, a particular highlight of the closing section being Chicago Music Syndrome’s 1987 classic Work It, with its fat, warm synths and frenetic percussion.

DJ Deep has done a fantastic job with this, and it is well worth getting a hold of. The sound is unmistakably retro, but that doesn’t mean it only works for those wanting to reminisce, with all the older records clearly standing the test of time. As a mix, it sits comfortably within 2010, and therein lies its beauty. All the tracks are classics, and they have been sequenced and mixed in a way that makes them utterly contemporary, which is a feat worthy of respect.

City To City 3: DJ Deep’s Journey Through House is out now on BBE through Inertia.