Picks of the Week
John Beltran featuring John Arnold "Nostalgic EP" (Groovia Sound Project 12")
John Beltran and John Arnold come together for the tasty late night house collaboration "Especially". The track is on a sublime bossa-jazz tip featuring a groovy bass, gentle percussion and harmonic keys alongside John Arnold's wonderful guitar play. Hernan Santiago adds extra percussion and gives the song a deeper feeling with lush chords and shuffling beats. The bonus cut "Alda" is a combination of calypso steel drums, broken beats and Detroit styled keys, creating an exotic piece of house music.
More Reviews
Exlusive Preview: Omar "Little boy" / "Never too late" (Jaycee In-Da-Mix)(CD-R)
Producer and DJ Jaycee has reworked two fantastic songs from outstanding r&b singer Omar. "Little boy" comes on a laidback tip, featuring sweet percussion and jazzy keys over a smoothly stormin' groove, with Omar's sensual vocals shining through all over. "Never to late" is spreading a more relaxed feeling, using a broken beat styled groove as base for the seductive keys, funky ingredients and sensual vocals. Two wonderful interpretations bringing soul and house together at its best.
Prescription Collective Classic "Morning factory" (Prespcription Records 12")
This is the first release in a brand new and limited 12" series bringing back some of the most memorable moments from the Prescription back catalog. "Morning factory" produced by Ront Trent & Chez Damier is presented here in the 'Dubplate Mix', with the swirling hypnotizing synths and underlaying shuffling riddim creating a smooth yet fierce deep house journey. This track was originally released on the "Grand Lodge of Luxor (Thebes) EP" back in 1995.
Spikiri featuring Hugh Maskela "Spiyanko" (Vega Records 12")
'Little' Louie Vega, B.O.P and the legendary trumpeter Hugh Masekla team up for this lovely afro house track that has a jazzy edge and features some occasional classic Masters at Work drum breaks together with a african chants and a wonderful trumpet by Hugh Maskela, creating a very oroganic, laidback vibe that is full of energy.
Frank-I "Let the record play" (Yoruba Records 12")
This latest Osunlade production is a beautiful marriage of deep house with nu soul as singer Frank-I delivers a passionate vocal performance over a deeply stormin groove that is enriched with smooth percussion and sweet melodic keys. The 'Casamena Living Room Mix' takes the song to a different territory, turning it into a jazz-funky groover that is perfect for chilling and relaxing.
Alex & Reverend P featuring Chynna Blue "If you find your way" (Funk La Planet Records CD Promo)
"If you find your way" is a groovy and deep affair featuring jazzy keys and the sexy voice of Chynna Blue who provides a smooth vocal perforamce. While the original version is spreading a laidback feeling through its mellow groove and jazzy ingredients, the 'Funk La Planet Remix' fierce things up with a percussion infused groove and extra keys and an organ solo, preserving the jazzy flavor and laidback feeling.
Kenny Carvajal "Rise" (Remixes)(Music 101 Records 12" Test Pressing)
Originally released back in early 2002, this wonderful song that features the unmistakable voice of John Redmond returns in phat new new remixes by Alton Miller and Craig Loftis. Alton Miller turns out a deeply stompin' reworking that features smooth beats together with melodic keys and sweet percussion, while Craig Loftis gives it an orchestral touch on his take, using a dirty bassline, jazzy piano line and horn section.
Richard Lopez "Calm before the storm" (ChaCha Project Records CD Promo)
"Calm before the storm" by Richard Lopez is an irresistible track that is building throughout its entirety. Based on a driving tribal-ish groove, the track features sweet percussion together with spheric keys and an incredible jazzy piano line that adds a jazzy flavor, giving the track an afterhours feeling.
Chuck Love "Soul symphony EP (OM Records 12")
Minneapolis' Chuck Love delivers one of his strongest releases to date with this four tracker. "Soul symphony" has a west coast flavor to it, featuring Chuck Love's trademark funky style together with a soulful vocal by Fourfeet. The 'Original Mix' is a groovy vocal house tune, while the 'Acid-Washed Dub' takes the song deeper. "Something right" is an uplifting and fierce latin house track, while "Living at night" is a gritty and buzzing electro stomper.
Lavonz "Far away" (Trippin' Records 12")
The vocal version on this release is courtesy of Quentin Harris who adds the shelter magic to it, using his trademark elements that give the track a bouncey feeling, with a dreamy edge thanks to the laminar keys. Dominic Versell & James Lavonz provide the dub, giving the track a deep and groovy packing with a lovely guitar included, not to forget to mention that techy flavors included.
Exlusive Preview: Club des Belugas "Hip hip chin chin" (C&M Bootlegg Mix)(CD-R)
This track was originally released on the "Minority tunes" album by Club des Belugas in 2003, an easy listening latin-lounge album. C&M rework the track for the dancefloor, keeping the sweet lounge vibes of the original alive by combining it with a fiercely stompin' groove that gives the track a driving feeling.
Miguel Migs "Check this out EP" (Salted Music Records CD Promo)
This release is sub-titled "Just some tracks so don't trip!"... What you get are two tracks in two flavors each. First up is "Life and music", a deep track featuring nice strings and vocal ad-libs that has a funky edge to it. The 'Dub-a-Tech Mix' strengthens the percussion and features some techny ingredients. "Check this out" is a funky track with a wicked keyboard line that features lovely breakdowns in the 'Migs Funky Breaks Mix'.
Justin Martin & Sammy D featuring Fernando Rivera "The legend of Papachongo" (Buzzin' Fly Records 12" Promo)
San Francisco's Justin Martin and Sammy D together with vocalist Fernando Rivera present this driving tropical house tune that combines various influences from west coast house over afro house elements that are on an Africanism tip to some very effective gimmicks and effects - the result is an irresistible and groovy track, that comes with various tools for DJs (dub, acapella, two beat edits).
Kerri Chandler "Bar a thym" (Foremost Poets Remix)(NRK Records 12")
"Bar a thym" is already being hailed as a contender for house record of the year, its heavyweight cowbell driven percussion and anthemic synth line have been driving club crowds wild everywhere. NRK Records now present brand new remixes courtesy of the Foremost Poets (aka Johnny Dangerous) who add a great spoken word vocal to the track. You can choose between the original version with added vocals and brand new remixes (vocal and instrumental) that feature additional spheric keys and some nice twists and turns.
JoVonn "Old man groan" (Remix)(NextMoov Tracks Records 12")
Already massive in its original form, this incredible track gets reworked by the Code Red crew (DJ Spen and friends) and JoVonn himself. The Code Red crew uses a chunky groove complete with cool keys and lovely melodies that serve as playground for the scat vocals, while JoVonn drops an outstanding organ solo over a techy rhythm.
Shik Stylko featuring Tyree Cooper "Rock with you" (RealBasic Records CD Promo)
For his third release von RealBasic Records, Shik Stylko uses a pumpin' beat as base that is enriched with electronic keys, old school chords and wicked e-guitar licks alongside Tyree Cooper's vocals. The dub version goes tribal, having a tougher edge to it that gives the track an even mor driving feel. Also included is an acapella to play around with.
Sebastian Krieg "Changes" (RealBasic Tracks Records CD Promo)
"Changes" by Sebastian Krieg is a tribalish track coming in three versions to choose from. The 'Original Mix' is spreading a funky feeling and features a smooth bassline together with warm electro sounds and a cool piano riff. The 'Roman F Remix' adds some guitar licks and turns the beats towards drum&bass territory while the 'Club Mix' is a more progressive affair with with a stompin' tribal groove and tough keys.
Timmy Vegas "Call my name" (Knee Deep USA Records CD Promo)
Paul Timothy aka Timmy Vegas presents this lovely 70's influenced disco soul tune which features Jaqui Williams on vocals together with an orchestra for backing. The 'Original Edit' is all about the funky groove, strings and the soulful vocals that create a vibe reminiscent of the disco era, while the 'Knee Deep Dub' reworks the track into a peaktime stomper. Lastly there is the 'Deep Josh Mix' that turns the track into a stormin' affair whilst replacing the discoish elements with melodic keys.
Classic Reviews
Romanthony "The wanderer" (Prescription Records 12", 1994)
The legendary Prescription label featuring a classic production from the unique and incomparable Romanthony.