Picks of the Week
Collective Spirits "Love Planet EP " (Camio Records CD Promo)
Collective Spirits combines the talents of producers/DJ's Jonny Montana and Neil Maclean, singer Dana Byrd and spoken word artist Tantra-zawadi. Together they present the outstanding "Love Planet EP" that is comprised of three wonderful productions that combine Dana Byrd's soulful vocals with Tantra-zawadi's spoken poetry. "Let it come" is a laidback track on a latinesque tip featuring subtle keys and a marvelous organ ride, while "People of the world" features infectious synths and classy strings over a smooth percussion enriched groove. Lastly we have "Just wanna dance" that is a nod to the classic New York dance anthems, built around a kickin' groove that is guaranteed to rock any dance floor.
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Brazilian Soul Crew "I got love for you" (Abicah Soul Records CD Promo)
The Brazilian Soul Crew present the soulful and laidback "I got love for you" that features a beautiful instrumentation, with a smooth percussion enriched groove and a funkily groovin' bassline leading the way for rhodes tabs and sweet female vocals. Abicah Soul contribute a wonderful dub to the package that gives the track a more subtle feeling with added organ key stabs and wonderful strings. One for the deep house heads.
Alton Miller "Full Circle" (Yore Records Digital Download)
German label Yore Records present this marvelous release by Detroit's Alton Miller that takes you on a journey through old-school styled deep house grooves. "Time waits" is a beautiful, laidback late night groover featuring soulful male vocals and melodic chords, while "Way of the drum" strengthens the beat and features cool synths for a slightly more intense feel. Lastly there is the uplifting "Song for Beatriz", a thirteen minute extravaganza featuring sing along vocals and lovely keys over a smooth percussion enriched groove. Digital Downloads available at DanceTracks Digital.
DJ Reeplee featuring Kenny Bobien "Raise up" (Souvent Records CD Promo)
"Raise up" premiered at this years Winter Music Conference and thanks to the organic live sound (included violins, brass section and guitar) and the incomparable vocals by Kenny Bobien it became an instant favorite. Finally the full package is ready, offering three fantastic takes on the song. The original is soulful house at its best on a real funky edge, while the 'New York Mix' is full of sweet percussion elements and relaxes the vibe for a more laidback feel. The 'San Francisco Mix' takes the song to a different direction by taking it to jackin' house territory, letting the filtered keys create a hypnotic vibe.
Doobie J featuring Yvonne Yanney "Sunshine" (Citrus Sound Records CD Promo)
Citrus Sound present another hot package full of slammin' mixes. Doobie J's "Sunshine" is a summery track featuring a wonderful piano alongside soulful vocals by Yvonne Yanney and phat keys over a smooth yet fierce backing groove. Dom Navarra's makes use of a percussion enriched backing groove and beautiful chords that accompany the vocals, while DJ Slider goes deep and gives the track an underground touch. Jonny Montana takes the track to laidback territory with his melodic version, followed by JedSet & U-Ness who present a feel-good version featuring great keys and a catchy piano over a thumpin' groove. Blackliquid's remix is a bumpy affair featuring great keys and chords, while lastly Soul Child server a classic interpretation featuring beautiful piano and strings.
Ceramic featuring Aisling Stephenson "Broken dreams" (NY Soul Records Digital Download)
London based producer Ceramic teams up with vocalist Aisling Stephenson for the magnificent "Broken dreams" coming in a variety of wonderful mixes. Ian Friday gives the track his trademark organic touch that is resistless yet soulful, while Souled (Ben Tidy & Cookie) come up with a smooth percussive broken-beat flavored groover. The 'Aphrodisiax Vox Dub' takes the track to deeper hypnotic grounds, while the 'Jazzy Theory Vocal Mix' (Jazz Theory is the team of Jonny Montana and Neil Mclean) gives the track a laidback jazzy feeling. Closing the package is Nef Nunez' powerful 'NYC Mix' which features wicked synths over a stormin' groove. Digital Downloads available at DanceTracks Digital.
Brotherly "Navigator" (Musiclovelife Remix)(Sun Tzu Sound Records Digital Download)
"Navigator" by Brotherly (a collective of London musicians who are pushing boundaries in jazz, nu-jazz, broken beat and urban music) gets the remix treatment by Musiclovelife aka Phil Asher and Mark De Clive-Lowe. They deliver a deeply rumblin' reworking featuring a rubbery bassline and driving keyboard melodies that together with the sensitive female vocals create a hypnotic vibe on the dance floor. Digital Downloads available at DanceTracks Digital.
DJ Boombastic A featuring Dewi Indah "Music is the key" (Pino Music Records CD Promo)
Swiss DJ Boombastic A presents a great production featuring the vocal talents of Dewi Indah. "Music is the key" is a retro styled funky house track on a relaxed tip, with Dewi Indah providing a sensitive vocal performance. Dr. Drummer contributes a smoothly stompin' reworking featuring melodic keys and lovely funky ingredients that altogether create a feel-good vibe, while Alejandro Martinez & Hot Hands use a relaxed percussion driven groove as base for their soulful take that uses sweet keys to create a laidback vibe.
Crispin J Glover "Are you gonna be there" (Metrogroove Records CD Promo)
Here we've got a cover of the Shay Jones classic "Are you gonna be there" produced by Crispin J Glover. Various mixes included in the package, with Russia's Yuriy Poleg turning out a fierce club mix which features catchy synths over a fierce groove. One Foot in the Groove deliver serious dance floor madness with their bumpin' funky house take, while Mark Heinemann's interpretation is on a more laidback soulful tip featuring beautiful melodies. Also included is Crispin J Glover's original version which is on an electro-tech vibe perfect for the main rooms.
Deepswing featuring Will Wheaton "Come on everybody" (Generate Music Records CD Promo)
Deepswing present an absolutely irresistible production titled "Come on everybody" featuring a passionate vocal by Will Wheaton, with all included mixes guaranteed to take dance floors by storm. The 'Sunday Thunder Mix' is a resistless funky house gem that will catch you instantly with its relentless funky groove, lush keys and classy horns. The 'VIP Mix' smoothes things down a bit for an uplifting soul-funk flavored interpretation that is marvelously orchestrated, while the 'Original Demo Mix' is a funk soaking disco-house monster built around a captivating groove.
Pepper Mashay "Pray for tomorrow" (Inevitable Records CD Promo)
This package offers massive new remixes of Pepper Mashay's "Pray for tomorrow. Candy Apple contribute an uplifting vocal version featuring great horns and piano, with the dub powering up the groove for a more fierce vibe. Jay Solomon adds three great variations to the package, all keeping things soulful and funky while varying the intensity of the beats and groove. Gladly the magnificent remixes by Central Avenue are included as well, with the 'Main Mix' keeping it soulful while being powerful enough for becoming a peak time favorite with the wicked keys and funky bassline groove used. The 'Soulful Mix' is slightly softer, giving it more of a laidback feeling with a relaxed groove and jazzy keys opposite to the dub that is firing things up with a powered-up groove and electro keys.
Fuzion featuring Angel "Deeper" (Fuzion Dance Remixes)(Fuzion Records CD Promo)
"Deeper" is lifted from Fuzion's highly acclaimed "Lose Control" album and features singer Angel Rose. The original album version is wonderfully orchestrated, spreading a laidback vibe through the warm melodies and passionate vocals by Angel Rose. The brand new remixes (vocal / dub / instrumental) are intensifying the vibe with a stormin' groove and resistless keys that together with the vocals create a mesmerizing vibe that will take dance floors by storm. Also included is a beautiful new take of "Sax in the city" that is uplifting jazz house at its best.
Daddy Funk 45 featuring Lovella "Stand up" (The Remixes)(White Lotus Club Records CD Promo)
White Lotus Club present a slammin' remix package of Daddy Funk 45's "Stand up" which features a passionate vocal by Lovella. Danny Clark & Jay Benham provide an uplifting reworking featuring a resistless piano alongside classic chords and keys over a smooth backing, while the Stereo Mutants use a fierce yet soulful tribal beat as base for the vocals, sweet percussion elements and wicked synths. Divided Souls give the track a main room electro reworking, while Christian Hornbostel goes for a deep, funk oozing interpretation on a slightly dark tip.
Veronique "Veriations - the EP" (Wallshaker Music Records CD Promo)
Veronique's follows up her last years debut single "Use me" with the wonderful new release "Veriations - the EP". On this EP, we see Malik Alston and Aaron Carl doing production and mixing, while Veronique impresses with her songwriting and vocal skills. "Faith" has a classy old-school touch to it and features a male preacher spoken word alongside wicked keys and Veronique's passionate vocals. "Beautiful" is on a laidback tip, with a smooth groove leading the way for the vocals, sweet percussion and melodic chords. "Alright" is a duet with Aaron Carl that is nothing else than irresistible with the deeply stompin' groove, lush keys and outstanding vocals. Completing the package is last years gospel house smash "Use me".
Benoit B "Love is so good" (Gotta Keep Faith Records CD Promo)
French DJ and producer Benoit B aka DJ Ben presents the uplifting "Love is so good" which features sexy female vocals over a funky backing groove that is enriched with sweet percussion and wicked chords on the main vocal. Together with DJ Lewis, he presents a deep and soulful alteration that is groovy from the beginning to the end. Next we have Richard Earnshaw adding his magic touch to the track to turn it into a resistless bumper for the dance floor. DJ Floy gets deep and gives the track a lovely latinesque edge, while Alex Dimitri delivers afro-flavored deepness on his take.
Patrick Green featuring Manon True "L'amour" (SofiTone Records CD Promo)
Patrick Green teams up with Manon True who provides a sexier than sexy French vocal on this lovely production. The 'Lunar Mix' is a deeply thumpin' affair featuring phat chords that together with the vocals create a hypnotic vibe. Pashaa is powering up the vibe with stompin' beats while the spacy synths create a resistless feel, while Justin Imperiale's 'Cabana Mix' is a more relaxed, funk oozing affair featuring brilliant keys. For all the creative heads out there, the acapella is included too.