Picks of the Week
Exclusive Preview: Martino "Cultured girl" (Remixes)(Iwanai Music Records CD Promo)
The classic "Cultured girl" from Martino gets the long awaited remix treatment - it definitely has been worth the wait. Martino teams up with Karizma for the 'Kartino Suite Mix', a deep and melodic reworking that sees both of them adding their unique style to the beats and keys, resulting in an absolute beauty that is smooth, resistless and hypnotic at the same time, taking you on a journey into the deepest imaginable grounds of house. Not to forget the sexy vocals courtesy of Syreeta Neal that add that little something extra. The second remix is courtesy of David Harness who comes up with a fantastic interpretation on his own, giving the track a deep and hypnotic reworking featuring a catchy hook and stellar chords.
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Joe Rizla "Travellin' to you" (Black Keys Music Records CD Promo)
Joe Rizla blesses us with more of his smooth and deep medicine that is mellow and fierce at the same time, with the jazzy keys and horns together with sweet percussion giving the track a laidback touch, while the deeply thumpin' groove create a relentless vibe you can't stop dancing to. The dub strips the keys to take you on an even more intense journey.
Exclusive Preview: DJ Man-X "Miami soul" (DeepHaven Music Records CD-R)
DJ Man-X is currently working on his upcoming artist album, with "Miami soul" being the title track exclusively available to Spirit of House for review. "Miami soul" is a wonderful instrumental production featuring a marvelous flute play alongside incredible keys and beautiful strings, all nicely arranged over a deep yet smooth, funk spiced backing groove that gives the track an irresistible feeling. "Miami soul" makes your yearning for DJ Man-X's album - and with artists such as Carolyn Harding and Albert Menendez involved in the project, its gotta be big for sure.
Andy Tamashi featuring Victoria T "The meaning of love" (Consortium Muzik Records CD Promo)
Consortium Muzik are going from strength to strength, with their latest offering "The meaning of love" by Andy Tamashi being no exception. Featuring a sweet vocal performance by Victoria T, "The meaning of love" is a beautifully orchestrated production that is spreading a laidback feeling in its original form. Various remixes are included in the package, with Abicah Soul giving it a deep hypnotic re-rub, while Yotam Avni takes the track even deeper by while giving it a mellow feeling. Monte Carlo Method's interpretation is a deeply rumblin' affair featuring great spheric keys, while DJ Jalal goes for a deeply thumpin' take featuring wicked chords.
Brazilian Soul Crew "Brazilian soul" (Conya Records CD Promo)
"Brazilian soul" courtesy of the Brazilian Soul Crew comes straight from the Brazilian summer to you (yes, they do have summer there right now), bringing warm and summery vibes to the dance floor. Their original is an uplifting affair featuring wonderful melodies over a percussive deep house groove. Italy's Haldo gives the track a smooth and laidback rendition featuring magnificent chords, while Jota Wagner takes the track to deeper, slightly techy grounds on his 'Lunatic Deep Remix'. Lastly, Can 7 & Henri Kohn contribute a remix that reworks the track into a completely new deep house track.
Logicalgroove featuring Savio Vurchio "You are the one" (Gotta Keep Faith Records CD Promo)
Gotta Keep Faith strike again with two fresh releases after entering the "Pick of the Week" spot two weeks ago. "You are the one" is courtesy of Logicalgroove who present a truly soulful production featuring an incredible vocal performance by Savio Vurchio alongside an outstanding saxophone over a funk soaked backing groove that is enriched with jazzy keys and classy strings. The 'Sax Full Length Mix' drops the vocals to take the saxophone center stage, while the 'Live in Dominicus Beach' version is a wonderful reprise perfect to chill to.
Groovalicious "Love candy" (Gotta Keep Faith Records CD Promo)
In its original form, "Love candy" by Groovalicious is a feel good production featuring sweet vocals over a fiercely stormin' funktified backdrop that is topped with warm melodic keys. Steve Paradise provides the 'Deep in the Disco Mix' that gives the track a deep, disco flava spiced sounding, while Spiritual Blessings' 'Move in da Deepa Mix' is a groovy deep house interpretation that keeps things smooth and relaxed. D3's 'Classic Mix' is what its name denotes, an old-school reworking taking you back in time, while Dee C'Rell gives it a stormin' deep house sounding perfect for peak time play.
Mix 2 Inside featuring Carolyn Brown "Lovin' you" (Mix2Inside Records CD Promo)
This latest release on Mix2Inside sees Carolyn Brown and Colonel Abrams team up for the massive "Lovin' you", a beautiful production featuring stunning vocals over a fiercely groovin', disco-funk flavored backing groove on the 'Monte Carlo Soul Mix'. The 'Principaute Dub' is a tougher affair, taking the track to deeper grounds, while Mr. Bords' 'Party Yach Mix' is a contributes a lovely funktified deep house take. Lastly Arduini & Pagany provide an uplifting reworking featuring melodic keys over a smoothly stormin' groove.
House Bros featuring Carol Jiani "Keep on" (Distar Records CD Promo)
Disco diva Carol Jiani returns to the dance floors thanks to Italian production team House Bros (aka Arduini & Pagany with Paolo Faz) who present an uplifting disco-house production with "Keep on" that is full of classic strings, great horns and lovely keys on the 'Soulful Mix', all beautifully arranged over a funktified backing groove - and with Carol Jiani providing a heartfelt performance, you know this is a winner. The 'Disco 54 Mix' adds retro funky flavors and powers things a tad up, while the Paolo Faz serves a fiercely groovin' funky house version. Arduini & Pagany give it a tougher edge on their deep house and tribal mixes that are perfect for the bigger rooms.
Exclusive Preview: Costa Martinez featuring Bahar "I can't believe" (2Delicious Records CD Promo)
Exclusive Preview: Mr. Moon "The Naked EP" (2Delicious Records CD Promo)
2Delicious is a young Swiss label that will release different styles of house music, from soulful over deep to electro, minimal and progressive. Here we've got two of their upcoming releases, with "I can't believe" by Costa Martinez being a soulful production featuring a passionate vocal courtesy of Bahar over a smooth backing groove that is enriched with warm melodic keys. The dub takes the track to deeper grounds, with a deeply stormin' beat leading the way for the vocals and keys. Sean Mcferrin provides the remix that gives the track a slightly electronic deep house sounding. Mr. Moon presents "The Naked EP" featuring two tracks, with "Dream on" being a laidback mid tempo vocal house track featuring soulful vocals that is given a fierce and uplifting up-tempo makeover by Sean Mcferrin, while "Naked" is a mellow house track with a distinct West Coast touch, again reworked by Sean Mcferrin who gives it a splendid deep house rendition that features wicked chords alongside a great jazzy saxophone.
Park Street featuring Diana Waite "Sometimes" (Look-At-You Records CD Promo)
UK production team Park Street present the uplifting "Sometimes" featuring singer Diana Waite who provides a wonderful vocal performance on this captivating production that will stick to your head with the first listen thanks to the warm melodic orchestration. The original is a groovy affair, while the 'Classic Synth Vocal' is on a deeply thumpin' tip featuring classy chords. The slightly broken beat flavored 'Stripdown Dub' takes the song to deeper grounds, creating an intense vibe with its breakdowns and buildups. An instrumental version of the original vocal and a reprise complete this wonderful release.
Central Avenue featuring Caterina Rea and Simon Green "Keep me coming back" (Barcoda Records CD Promo)
"Keep me coming back" by Central Avenue features marvelous vocal performances by Caterina Rea and Simon Green over a fierce yet soulfully thumpin' backing groove that is enriched with melodic keys and lovely guitars that altogether give the track an uplifting feeling. Central Avenue's dub is a resistless, way deeper affair with a slight electronic touch, while Panevino serve a deeply stormin' reworking featuring wicked keys and chords that create an irresistible vibe. Soularis relax things on their take, letting the orchestration create a warm laidback feeling. White Caviare deliver a hot dub perfect for the bigger rooms and peak time action with its fierce groove and wicked keys and funky guitar riff, while D3 slows things down to deliver a retro flavored take.
Kemal featuring Foxxee "City street walkin'" (Purple Music Tracks Records CD Promo)
After putting out some serious deep house madness on Indeependent Records, Kemal presents his first release on the Purple Music imprint. "City street walkin'" features an outstanding spoken word vocal courtesy of Foxxee over an irresistibly thumpin' groove that is enriched with a catchy piano line and lovely keys. Beside the vocal and instrumental versions, there is the 'Organ Dub' that features a brilliant organ solo that creates a resistless feeling.
Exclusive Preview: Ultra Naté "Give it all you got" (Matty's All You Got Remix)(Tommy Boy Records CD-R)
Here we've got another marvelous remix by Matthias 'Matty' Heilbronn who takes on Ultra Naté's "Give it all you got" (lifted from her album "Grime, Silk & Thunder"), reworking the track into an uplifting anthem based around a relentlessly drivin' four-to-the-floor beat that is enriched with wicked keys and a catchy piano alongside the incomparable vocals by Ultra Naté, with background vocals provided by Chris Willis. Feel good vibes on the dance floor guaranteed!
Fabio Tosti presents No Age Combo "The key" (MusicPlan Records CD Promo)
Music Plan Records, the recently launched label by Fabio Tosti, presents their third consecutive winner with "The key" by the No Age Combo, a resistless deep house track built around a heavily thumpin' beat that is enriched with a catchy piano line, wicked keys and classy strings. Fabio Tosti's 'Re-Work' gives the track a groovier outfit on a funky edge, while his 'Akiram Mix' strips things down to give it a hypnotic tribalistic touch.
Raul Moros "Back to basics" / "Way back when" (SoulFuric Trax Records CD Promo)
Raul Moros presents a slammin' release on SoulFuric Trax that features two tracks that are destined to destroy the dance floors with their combination of old-school sounds and modern flavors. First up is "Back to basics" which features catchy synths over an irresistibly pumpin' backing groove, followed by the bouncy "Way back when" which features a true old-school piano over a kickin' beat - for a deeper take, check the 'D-Reflection Dub' of the track. Rounding off the package is a very useful synth tool of "Back to basics".
Shape "Something's going on" (TriCircle Deep Records CD Promo)
French formation Shape deliver the deep'n'funky "Something's going on", with its funky ingredients creating a laidback vibe reminiscent of a live jam session. The remixes take the track to different directions, with DJ Circle's reworking being a stompin' deep house affair featuring 80's styled analogue synths. Dr. Drak provides two interpretations, with the 'Tunnel Remix' being on a slightly electronic deep house tip, while the 'Blue Remix' takes the track to funky deep house grounds.
First Life "Survival" (Monkey Dust Mixes)(Inevitable Records CD Promo)
"Survival" by First Life in the Monkey Dust mixes is destined to take bigger rooms by storm with its resistless, fiercely stormin' groove that is enriched with catchy, slightly progressive keys. But the real delight in this package is the deeper 'Monkey Dust Dub' that features an incredibly hot saxophone solo that adds a soulful touch to the track, harmonizing beautifully with the sweet female vocals, all arranged nicely over the tribalised groove.