Selections: Cinthie

If there’s one person you can trust to give you an education in house music, it’s Cinthie. The Berlin-based DJ, producer, label boss and Elevate record store owner has spent the past 25 years immersed in the sound’s many forms, from velvety deep house and soulful grooves to jackin’ anthems and disco-singed sweeteners. 

Just watch her 2020 set from DJ Mag HQ, or listen to her 2022 contribution to !K7’s fabled DJ-Kicks compilation series and you’ll get the idea; her crates are deep, and stacked with as much fresh heat as they are with rare gems and classic cuts.

All this knowledge is comfortably transferred into her own productions. Her new EP, the aptly titled ‘Musique for Discotheques’ on Dam Swindle’s Heist Recordings, is a case-in-point suite of festival-ready house music, with a surprise footwork twist added in for good measure. Replete with breezy synths, sweet piano leads, vocal hooks and that oh so perfect marriage of analog bass and crisp 909s, it’s the sort of music that is, quite simply, irresistible. Complete with a remix from Italian house don St. David, it’s a winner. Get your copy here.

Cinthie is in the midst of a busy summer of club sets and festival slots, including Secret Garden Party in Cambridgeshire at the end of July. She joins a line-up including Underworld, Rosin Murphy, I. JORDAN, SHERELLE, and many, many more. Find out more and get your tickets here.

Below, Cinthie spotlights recent discoveries and secret weapons from friends, the Elevate family and beyond. Dive in below.

“This is my favourite EP right now from my favourite producer right now. She’s also working at my Elevate.Berlin record store. A big talent on the rise and one to keep a watch for. I love all four tracks on this mega EP.”

“This one comes on yet another of my favourites, Studio Barnhus, the label of Axel Boman, Kornel Kovacs and Petter Nordkvist out of Stockholm, Sweden. Love this EP in particular and the disco leaning vibe. Also the name Ari Bald already popped up a few times now on my radar so I’ll be keeping a close eye out for any future releases.”

“One of the guys featured on this package, Elroi, is also working at the Elevate store. Love the diversity of sounds across this whole EP but I’m particularly in love with the more rave sounding opening cuts.”

“This one’s a really, really special tip and a bestseller at the store. Maybe you know the track sampled here? Something a little different, super interesting, loopy, sample driven and groovy: it’s a failsafe combination.”

“I’ve been a huge fan of isoleé for many years now; he’s been making super weird and wonderful music for decades and I truly adore this album. Something I can listen to at home or play in the club on the right occasions with the right vibe. isoleé Is one of those producers who has an identity in his music and always sounds distinctly him.”

“I’m in love with this series. They always have cool edits and this one is another groover for sure. I didn’t know what was sampled until my daughter said: ‘Hey, you are listening to Billie Eilish, Mom!?’ I do prefer the other side to be honest but it was cool to discover this. Big groove perfectly crafted for the early hours of the clubs. Don’t sleep on the whole Milq series.”

“This is another secret weapon by an unknown artist, sampling an old New York house classic by Smooth Touch. On the flip we have a Lisa Stansfield edit. She’s probably one of the most sampled women in house music.  Remember the line “dancing on a thin line“ for example? Yep, a Henry Street Music classic featuring Stansfield’s voice.”

“My forever secret weapon (hmmm these are not so secret anymore, huh?). So dirty, so raw and you’ll always have the ravers screaming. My favourite from the package is mind games. Tip!”

“This is yet another killer release from my friend’s Disco Disco label. The standout track on the record for me is ‘We Prefer Fridays’: a sneaky banger. Played this in my Defected stream and then got bombarded with orders in my Elevate record shop almost immediately afterwards – always a sign of a good record when it’s quite literally flying off the shelves.”

“A superb slice of smooth deep house courtesy of Italian artist Rhythm Of Paradise and a label that can do no wrong, Smallville Records. As always from both the label and artist this EP is made up of the highest quality material, gritty yet deep and undeniably emotional, a perfect one for the dreamy early hours of the morning.”