Picks of the Week
Franky Boissy featuring Michael Watford "Back to my roots" (Purple Music Records CD Promo)
Franky Boissy has taken on the timeless Odyssey classic "Back to my roots" and together with the incomparable Michael Watford he delivers a magnificent cover. His original version is a smoothly stompin' affair full of funky flavors reminiscent of the 1981 classic. The Muthafunkaz rework the track into a resistless gospel house stomper, with their 'Huge Vibe Dub' being all about the vibes and the relentless groove. Italy's Luis Radio completes the package with a lovely reworking that is on a more laidback tip, preserving the classic funky feeling while adding some sweet balearic flavors to it.
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Park St featuring Diana Waite "You think you know" (ReelGroove Records CD Promo)
Park St are going from strength to strength with both their remix works and own productions, and with "You think you know" on ReelGroove they present another winner, featuring the sublime voice of Diana Waite. Their original is a funkily bubblin' affair that is spreadin' a feel good vibe on the dancefloor. Lots of great remixes are included in the package: DJ Meme reworks the track into a peaktime monster with fantastic breakdowns and builds, while Fabio Bacchini gives it a disco-funk outfit. Santi Touch relaxes things to give it a laidback vibe perfect for chillin', followed by Rob Hayes who goes for a piano driven interpretation spiced with disco flavors. Lastly there is a beautiful reprise version.
House Bros featuring Carol Jiani "Keep on" (Arduini & Pagany Soulful Mix)(Distar Records CD Promo)
Disco diva Carol Jiani returns to the dancefloros thanks to italian prodcution duo House Bros who present an uplifting disco-house production with "Keep on" that is full of classic strings, great horns and lovely keys, all beautifully arranged over a funktified backing groove. And with Carol Jiani providing a heartfelt peformance, you know this is a winner.
Orange Muse featuring D'Empress "After all" (MapDance Records CD Promo)
Swiss label MapDance kick off summer with the uplifting "After all" courtesy of swedish production team Orange Muse, with D'Empress proving an inspirational vocal performance. The original is a feel good anthem suitable for every occasion, having an old-school disco-funk sounding to it, while Morten Trust's reworking is built around a thumpin' groove and uses catchy keys to generate an irresistible vibe. Lastly Soul Central take it to the bigger floors with their electro flavored deeply rumblin' interpretation.
Deep Factor "Down on it" (Feelin' Music Records CD Promo)
The 1975 Bobby Womack classic gets a marvellous reworking by Deeep Factor featuring a passionate vocal performance by Millie Jackson. This splendid cover is spreading classy old school flavors through its jazz-funk vibes which are inspired by the beloved (and unfortunately long time gone) disco/funk era. The music together with the vocals create an intense feeling reminiscent of the days when funky grooves dominated disco. The dub version puts the the four-to-the-floor beat centerstage while keeping the jazz-funk feeling alive.
Deepswing featuring Kelly Jones "Mighty mighty love" (Generate Music Records CD Promo)
Deepswing have chosen Kelly Jones who they worked with in the past (she was part of the gospel group A7 who were the singers on "He's got the love" and "I am somebody", released on Kult Records) as featured artist for their latest project "Mighty mighty love", a powerful yet soulful production featuring wonderful organ rides and jazzy sax riffs alongside an inspirational vocal by Kelly Jones over a smooth backing groove. Swiss production team MoD smooth it down a little bit on their dub, giving it a classic feeling by using a lovely piano, great strings and jazzy flute. The package will soon be expanded with another dub by the Soul Conducterz.
Morten Trust featuring J-Sun "Back to love" (MapDance Records CD Promo)
As if one bomb was not enough, MapDance drop another one with "Back to love" courtesy of Morten Trust. Featuring passionate vocals and spoken words by J-Sun alongside a wicked jazzy saxophone and melodic keys, "Back to love" is a smoothly thumpin' affair spreading a laidback vibe. The 'Late Night Mix' is firing things slightly up, using electrofied keys to give it more of a hypnotic feel. Richard Earnshaw delivers a set of outstanding remixes that keep it soulful and groovy by using a smooth funktified groove and warm melodic keys.
Gregory Del Piero featuring Billy Love "Rewind" (Swank Records CD Promo)
Gregory Del Piero and Billy Love (aka William Beaver) had already been succesful in the past with their collaborations, and they certainly will continue to be with "Rewind", a deeply stormin' track featuring atmospheric keys and soulful vocals by Billy Love that is spreading a hypnotic vibe on the dancefloor. Soulbasics take the track to a deeper level, giving a mellow feeling by using sweet percussion, melodic keys and jazzy xylophone that harmonise perfectly with the soulful vocals. For a more dirty and raw interpretation, check Euan Mitchell's reworking that takes it to even deeper grounds, with wicked keys accompanying Billy Love.
Masterbuilders "Man cannot rise" (Remixes)(Masterbuilder Records CD Promo)
The Masterbuilders present two brand new slammin' mixes of their massive "Man cannot rise". First is the old-school 'Back Then Big Piano Mix', a fierce affair built around a thumpin' groove that is enriched with catchy keys and a magnificent piano alongside a great jazzy saxophone. Second is the 'Stephen B Deeper Groove Mix' that takes the track to deep house territory by using spheric keys over a deeply thumpin' groove.
DJ Dealer "The dance electric" (Remixes)(Look-At-You Records CD Promo)
Last september, the original version of this irresistible track by DJ Dealer - that is inspired by the timeless "I.O.U" by Freeez - saw the light of the day. Now right in time for summer, Look-At-You present a massive remix package that takes the track to the next level. DJ Dealer himself, Chicago's Mark Grant, Blacksoul from Croatia and Manuel Sahagun from Argentina all deliver great reworkings where they add their unique touch.
Ciappy DJ & Pablo featuring Savio Vurchio present The Logical Groove Elements "I feel" (Raw Artistic Soul Vocal Dub)(ProgCity Deep Records CD Promo)
Right in time for the official release, ProgCity unleash Raw Artistic Soul's vocal dub of this lovely deep house track. The added vocals perfectly accompany the atmospheric keys, intensifying the already deep'n'grimy vibe that is created by the rumblin' groove. Together with the instrumental dub and the more laidback and mellow original version, this is deep house at its best.
Exclusive Review: The Groove Victim "Space Jockin EP" (FoulSoul Records CD-R)
The Groove Victim, a deep house soldier from head to toe, presents the lovely "Space Jockin EP" that brings you two slammin underground house tracks. "Centauri minor" is a deeply thumpin' affair featuring sweet percussion and wonderful spheric keys that give it a hypnotic vibe, while the raw "Mimix" goes one step further with spaced-out keys over a gritty backing groove. Deep house as it used to be in the early days o fhouse...