Picks of the Week
Exclusive Preview: Boddhi Satva & Abel Tabu "Moina ya mokili" (ATAL Records CD Promo)
Boddhia Satva and Abel Tabu team up with Congolese guitarist Danny Mpiana to present their interpretation of African music. The result is titled "Moina ya mokili" and features African styled vocals which together with the wonderful orchestration create an authentic soulful African vibe. The 'Original Mix' is a beautiful laidback affair perfect for chillin', with the 'Funky Mix' firing up the pace and adding some extra funky flavors. The 'Hi Life Mix' lays the focus on the drums, percussion and vocals to create a groovy feeling, while the 'Ancestral Mix' takes the track to deep house territory, with the African influences shining through. Abicah Soul fuses the African vibes with his distinct style of deep grooves to create a unique interpretation.
More Reviews
Exclusive Preview: Unknown "Run to me" (Koi's Bravery Mix)(CD-R)
This lovely mix by Koi founds its way to the Spirit of House office all the way from Japan on CD-R a couple of weeks ago. We haven't figured out yet the artist of this track, but this doesn't stop us from praising this beautiful mix that takes "Run to me" to deep grounds, giving it a smooth and groovy feeling with the warm melodic chords and sweet female vocals nicely arranged over a deeply rumblin' percussion enriched beat.
Exclusive Preview: Sunshine Anderson "Force of nature" (PowderSoul's Da Force Remix)(CD-R)
You might all be familiar with the Blaze remix of this beautiful song by Sunshine Anderson (lifted from her "Sunshine after midnight" long player" which got recently released both on vinyl and digital download on Blaze Imprints. Here we've got the interpretation by PowderSoul who gives it a wonderful smooth reworking that keeps on deeply groovin' from the beginning to the end, with marvelous keys accompanying the unmistakable voice of Sunshine Anderson. One not to be missed.
Alex Dimitri South Soul featuring Bos presents "Look out" (Alex South Soul Main mix)(Gotta Keep Faith Records CD Promo)
After having done various remixes for Gotta Keep Faith, Alessandro Pedone - better known as Alex Dimitri South Soul - together with his Australian friend BOS presents his first release on the label. On "Look out", jazz-funk meets house, resulting in a soulful and deep house track that will take you straight to a jazz club with its magnificent jazz and funk ingredients. The dub is going deeper, giving the track a hypnotic touch, while the 'Live on Stage Mix' is making you feel you're listening to a jam session. Yet another road takes the 'Re-Edit', being a fusion of all mentioned mixes. Lastly BOS provides the 'Look Out Mix' that pumps up things a bit.
This is Rhythm featuring Natalie Williams "Please don't call" (Duffnote Records CD Promo)
The original version of "Please don't call" is a marvelous soulful gem featuring a sultry vocal by Natalie Williams alongside a wonderful trumpet solo. Various lovely remixes are included, with Soularis giving the track a smoothly pumpin' feel that is enriched with melodic chords, while the Dolls Combers give it a laidback touch on their take that makes use of lovely strings and jazzy keys. Richard Earnshaw drops the vocals on his mixes, with the 'Jazzroom Mix' being a catchy affair built around a bumpy groove, wicked chords and the trumpet solo, while the 'Dubtool' is a hypnotic stripped down affair. Rounding off the package is an instrumental of the original version.
Alfredo Norese featuring Kaysee "Gettin' down" (Steal Vybe Music Records CD Promo)
A former "Pick of the Week" when it was on CD-R back in early October, this wonderful production by Argentinean producer Alfredo Norese has gladly found a home at Steal Vybe Music. It is a feel-good production on a funky edge that features an amazing vocal performance by Kaysee over a fierce yet smooth backing groove that is enriched with a lovely flute, classy horns, wicked guitar and melodic keys that altogether create an uplifting feeling. Chris Forman reworks the track into a deeply bumpin' affair featuring wicked keys and chords that add a hypnotic vibe to it, while Maz Lunden turns the track into a feel good affair perfect for the bigger rooms with its powerful groove and catchy synths.
UPZ featuring Rasu "noiZ" (SoWhat Records CD Promo)
A few weeks after the release of the massive Abicah Soul remixes, more phat mixes of this great track see the light of the day. This new package contains the unedited version of the original album cut, a deep and driving affair featuring wicked keys and slammin' vocals by Rasu. Also included is a hotter than hot dub and a remix by DJ Rico that gives the track more of a hypnotic underground vibe. A great addition to the Abicah Soul mixes you should add to the box.
Exclusive Preview: Shirley Lites "Heat you up" (Alex Dimitri South Soul Retouch)(CD-R)
While RedSoul teams up with Andrea Love for a cover of the Shirley Lites classic "Heat you up", Alex Dimitri takes on the original and adds a kickin' beat underneath the unmistakable keys and incredible vocal by Shirley Lites to give the track into a resistless hypnotic feel that stays true to the timeless classic.
Exclusive Preview: DJ Man-X "Miami soul" (Dub)(DeepHaven Records CD-R)
Two weeks ago we brought you an exclusive preview of the main version of "Miami soul", this week we are proud to present you another version of this marvelous track. The 'Dub' takes things way deeper, giving the track a hypnotic feeling that is absolutely relentless, with incredible keys leading nicely arranged over a deeply rumblin' groove that goes as deep as it gets. One to watch out for. Can't wait for DJ Man-X's album to drop...
Janet Gabriel "The power" (Central Avenue Mix)(Inevitable Records CD Promo)
Andy Lee under his Central Avenue moniker takes on Janet Gabriel's "The power", turning out an uplifting reworking featuring lovely guitar riffs alongside melodic chords, a jazzy piano and the sweet vocals by Janet Gabriel, all beautifully arranged over a stormin' backing groove that gives the track a powerful yet soulful feeling. More mixes to follow in 2008.
Replay "Everyday is Saturday" / "La musica" (TriCircle Records CD Promo)
This is a taster for the forthcoming January 2008 release of "Everyday is Saturday" by Replay which features vocals courtesy of Rhalmia, offering Ruben Alvarez' 'Dubalektro', a fierce dub version of the track built around a tribal beat that is enriched with catchy chords. Also included is the unreleased '2Bos Ruben Latin Dream Remix' by 2 Brothers of Soul (aka Ruben Alvarez and Miguel Serra) of the previously released track "La musica", an interpretation that gives the track a smooth tribal feel with a lovely latinesque piano leading the way.
Sven Waschinski presents Lo Profundo Del Alma "Ipanema groove" (Zebra Zoo Records CD-R)
Zebra Zoo Records present a lovely production coming in four different flavors, courtesy of Sven Waschinski who presents Lo Profundo Del Alma. "Ipanema groove" in its original form is a beautiful mid tempo tropical chill track featuring a lovely guitar over a laidback percussion enriched groove. The 'Sunset Mix' is a sweet and mellow house take on the track, while the 'SWED Edit' is firing things up and adds some electro flavors to make it fit the bigger rooms. Lastly Filta Freqz rework the track into a deeply thumpin', funk spiced affair that is oozing with soulful vibes.
DJ Rico "Flying Roots Jazz" (Gotta Keep Faith Records CD Promo)
Once more, Gotta Keep Faith bless us with a truly funky release, this time courtesy of DJ Rico who presents "Flying Roots Jazz", a track that combines funk and jazz with a raw deep house groove to create something eclectic thanks to the wicked spoken words and jazzy saxophone used. While the 'Deep Yall Main Mix' is a deeply thumpin full-on-funk affair, the 'Deep Yall Funky Jazzy Mix' smoothes things down for a more laidback approach with a jazzy edge. Lastly Mr Fuzz provides a jackin' dub that combines influences from jazz with electronic sounds to create something truly sophisticated.
Enrico Mantini " Pleasure of the high sense" (Deep Connectors Records CD Promo)
On "Pleasure of the high sense", Enrico Mantini teams up with David Bonelli for a deeply stormin' production that features wicked keys and sexy female vocals over a deeply rumblin' groove in its original form. Born to Funk give the track a funky outfit on their remix that features catchy synths, while Davidson Ospina's take has a deep moody edge to it. Redsoul comes up with a heavily stompin' piano driven attack, with Matt Sofo closing down the package with a deep and laidback, jazzy piano enriched interpretation.
Exclusive Preview: Staffan Thorsell & Marcel Waldburger "Yeah" (SP Records CD-R)
For the fourth release on SP Records, Staffan Thorsell teams up with Marcel Waldburger to present "Yeah", a production that uses warm melodic keys and chords alongside a classic retro guitar solo over a fierce yet smooth, funk flavored backing groove to spread a soulful feel good vibe on the dance floor. Watch out for more mixes to be added for the full releases that is expected for early 2008.
Exclusive Preview: Hot Hands presents Elisete "Voce e minha fantasia" (Dr. Harvey Remix)(Pino Music Records CD-R)
Colombia based DJ and producer Dr. Harvey (aka Harvey Cubillos) takes on "Voce e minha fantasia" by Swiss DJ and producer Hot Hands. He provides a powerful interpretation based on a smoothly stompin' groove that makes use of the wicked piano and the sweet and sexy vocal by Elisete of the original production to create a feel good interpretation.
Oscar P featuring AMA "You are my house" (Open Bar Records CD Promo)
With "You are my house", Oscar P presents the first single from this forthcoming album (to be released around February 2008). He teams up with London based Ama Zedrey who delivers a sexy vocal performance on this Balearic styled feel good production. Beside the original vocal and dub versions, the release will also feature various remixes ranging from house to minimal/electro, including a reworking by Javi Lopez that is built around a funkily groovin' backdrop and a remix by Arnaud D & Frederic Grand that takes the track to deeper slightly techy grounds.
Grantorino "Shake the black star" (Raisani Records CD Promo)
"Shake the black star" was featured earlier this year on the "Dubai Heat Sampler" and gained a lot of attention since then, so it was only a matter of time until it gets a full release. Grantorino (aka DJ Rico and Mr Fuzz) present a funkily groovin' house track enriched with cool rap vocals in its original form that gets remixed by Alix Alvarez who turns it into a deeply thumpin', slightly techyfied affair featuring great synths, while the Kings of Deep give it groovy vibe on their deeply rumblin' take. Instrumentals of all mixes complete the package.
Jon Cutler & Matthias Heilbronn "651" (Distant Music Records CD Promo)
After the highly successful collaboration of Jon Cutler and Matthias Heilbronn on "640" last year, they return now with "651", an equally great track full of wicked synths and chords that create a mesmeric feel, with the deeply rumblin' groove and percussion elements intensifying the vibe, with the result being an absolutely irresistibly bouncin' track that will take dance floors by storm. And if you wonder, what "640" and 651" stand for - its the running time of the tracks.
Exclusive Preview: Ranura De Alma "Mariposa" (SunSoaked Records CD Promo)
"Mariposa" by Ramura De Alma is an incredible track coming in three different flavors. The original is an organic affair featuring a lovely guitar alongside great spheric chords and catchy keys that altogether create an uplifting feeling. The 'GA & Soularis Dub' spices things up by giving the keys a slight electronic touch and deepening the groove, while Word of Mouth come up with an irresistible interpretation that intensifies all parts from the original to an absolute climax that has already proven its effectiveness as it took the crowd at the last Southport Weekender by storm.
Ray Jones "The Phenomenon EP" (DeepTown Music Records CD Promo)
DeepTown Music decided to take a new direction with their fourth release, serving something you most likely wouldn't have expected. "The Phenomenon EP" explores the more minimal grounds of the deep house territory, showcasing Ray Jones talent in producing hypnotic, absolutely resistless tracks that will create a frenzy on the dance floor. It's all about catchy electrofied synths perfectly arranged over deep relentless beats and drums, with the break downs and build ups augmenting the vibe.
Rasmir "Lost n lust" (Mantree Records CD Promo)
With "Lost n lust", Rasmir presents a deeply stormin' track that creates a hypnotic vibe through the catchy percussion and captivating keys that are nicely placed over a deeply rumblin' tribalised groove. The alternate "Lost n percussion" is a great addition to the package, being on a more relaxed, almost laidback tip with its smoothed down groove while keeping the hypnotic feeling alive.