Picks of the Week

Funk La Planet All Stars featuring Toni Smith "Summertime" (Funk La Planet Records CD Promo)

Summer is finally here, and with their cover of the Gershwin' jazz standard "Summertime" Funk La Planet present the appropriate anthem for it. Andy Funk & Benjamin Deffe provide an old-school flavored twelve minute journey into uplifting soulful house grooves featuring lovely guitars, classic strings, melodic keys and an inspirational vocal by Toni Smith over a percussion enriched, smoothly stormin' groove. DJ Fudge provides a funktified, steadily groovin' interpretation featuring great keys and a wicked organ solo. His dub is absolutely irresistible, with a relentless groove leading the way for the keys that create a hypnotic feeling.

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Kerri Chandler "All I have is this feeling" / "Je t'aime" (Grei Matter Records CD Promo)

This double header from Kerri Chandler marks the third release for this illustrious label, continuing the sucess of the previous releases. "All I have this feeling" is classy old school deep house with that distinctive deep rumblin' grooves and melodic keys Kerri Chandler is beloved and renowned for. "Je t'aime" is a deep house cut on a more laidback and mellow tip, featuring lovely guitars alongside sexy vocals.
 

Exclusive Review: NYC Peech Boys "Stay with me" (A.Dimitri's South Soul Remix)(CD-R)

Last week we've chosen to feature Alex Dimitri's reworing of Beyonce's "Summertime", this week it is time to bring you his interpretation of "Stay with me" by NYC Peech Boys which is given a deeply thumpin' makeover that features wicked electrofied keys alongside passionate male vocals that altogether create an irresistible vibe.
 

Dennis Ferrer "Touched the Sky EP" (KingStreet Records CD Promo / Digital Download)

"Touched the sky" has been a favorite with many DJs since it first appeared on Dennis Ferrer's highly acclaimed debut album "The world as I see it". Now this wonderful track has been re-rubbed by two of the hottest remixers of the moment. Quentin Harris adds his unmistakable sound to it, going a bit harder and darker than usual, with his dub taking it to the next level with catchy synths over a percussion enriched thumpin' groove. Yass delivers a respectful interpretation of the original that takes it to deeper grounds, strengthening the resistless vibe of the track. To be released in digital format only are the so far unreleased 'Dennis Ferrer Dub' of "Church lady" that comes complete with an incredible organ solo. Rocco's 'Late Night Mix' of the same track is an outstanding deep house reworking with wonderful laminar keys. Also included  in the digitial package are the 'Yass Dubstrumental' of "Touched the sky" and the 'Sasse Re-Edit' of "Transitions".
 

Exclusive Review: Porscha Parker "Whatever's possible" (Phoenix Music & Media CD Promo)

Phoenix Music & Media is a brand new company run by Juan Coon. The first release "Whatever's possible" by Porscha Parker is produced by M.I.S (Juan Coon and Aaron Brown). It is a fierce track driven by a relentless tribal house groove that is enriched with sweet percussion and wicked keys, with Porscha Parker providing a passionate vocal on top of it. The 'Bang the Box Dub Mix' intensifies the vibe, taking the track to a deeper level, letting the organ add an underground touch.
 

The Hayden Andre Project "Tribal life" (2007 Remix)(Strobe Records CD Promo)

Originally released back in 1991, "Tribal life" gets a new life in several variations. Ron Allen adds melodic keys, a jazzy piano and a lovely guitar to the smooth tribal groove to give it an uplifting feeling, while Deep 6 use moody chords to turn it into a deep house track. Phil Baxley creates an outerspace adventure with a lovely flute and spacey keys over the tribal beast. Lastly Aruba provide a tougher remix with a techy edge.
 

Chieko Kinbara "If you only" / "Stay with me" (NiteGrooves Records CD Promo)

Classically trained violinist Chieka Kinbara's work has previously only been available through Japanese imports, but thanks to NiteGrooves her music will now be available all over the world. "If you only" is produced by Kaskade and features the soulful voice of Joslyn alongside the wonderful violine play by Chieka Kinbara over a smoothly stompin' groove. Rasmus Faber's interpretation gives it a laidback organic feeling by using sweet percussion and a lovely guitar. Rasmus Faber is on duty again as producer on the second track "Stay with me" that features classical strings over a soulful house groove, with the instrumentation adding an organic vibe.
 

Redsoul & D'Layna "Believin' in love" (Look-At-You Records CD Promo)

Finally, this uplifting production by Redsoul found a home at Look-At-You Records. Featuring a soulful vocal performance by D'Layna, "Believin' in love" is a feel good disco delight in its original version. Enrico Mantini provides a funktified deeply thumpin' interpretation that is enriched with lovely keys, while the 'Lunar Dub' replaces the disco-ish elements with wicked keys that are nicely arranged over a smoothly thumpin' beat.
 

Groove Invaderz featuring Alec Sun Drae "Sweet music" (DoubleShock Records CD Promo)

The Groove Invaderz follow up their massive "Keep risin" with "Sweet music" which features the vocal talents of Alec Sun Drae. "Sweet music" is a powerful affair based on a stompin groove, with an old-school piano giving the track a retro feeling. Redsoul reworks the track into a deeply rumblin' affair with wicked keys, giving it an irresistible vibe perfect for peaktime play. Playmaker and Ridney deliver the mixes for the bigger rooms and raves with their trancey and progressive sounds.
 

UPZ featuring Theo Lawson "Afrika wo-man" (SoWhat Records CD Promo)

Originally out on SoulFunk Digital last year, this afro-infused track featuring a wicked vocal by Theo Lawson gets a welcome re-release on SoWhat Records. The 'UPZ Original Mix' keeps on groovin' from beginning to the end and features a lovely guitar alongside great sax and organ solos, while the 'UPZ SoWhat Mix' is firing things up using a straight 4/4 house beat and funky guitar. Euan Mitchell takes things deeper, letting it spread a hypnotic vibe through the relentless groove and wicked keys.
 

Limo "Boot's Heel EP" (ProgCity Deep Trax Records CD Promo)

Limo aka Giovanni Limongelli presents the deeper than deep "Boot's Heel EP" on ProgCity Deep Trax Records. First up is "Martina" that is built around a deeply stormin' groove, enriched with wicked keys giving it an irresistible ambient-ish feling. Next is the minimal, very Detroit-ish "Boot beat" that is all about basses and beats, with some electronic synths here and there added.