Picks of the Week
Ralf GUM featuring Monique Bingham "Kissing strangers" (GoGo Music Records CD Promo)
With "Kissing strangers", Ralf GUM presents a fabulous production that has timeless stamped all over it thanks to the delightful organic live orchestration as well as to the unmistakable vocals provided by the one and only Monique Bingham. The differently arranged 'Alternate Club Mix' intensifies the funk flavors and puts the emphasis to the groove while not letting loose anything from the magical orchestration. Frankie Feliciano's take on the song is a masterpiece in its own right thanks to the relentless soulful groove and beautiful melodies that will instantly make you move. Phil Kullmann under his Raw Artistic Soul guise adds another dope remix to the package that takes the song to way deeper grounds by giving it a definite early morning sound. "Kissing strangers" is taken from Ralf GUM's forthcoming album "Uniting music" expected for release around April 2008.
More Reviews
Exclusive Preview: Yasin Travis "Wondering why" (Sexual Chocolate Mix)(CD-R)
Serge Negri present a wonderful mellow production titled "Wondering why" courtesy of Yasin Travis which features keys by guest artists Emi and Carlos Sanchez. "Wondering why" is built around a mellow beat that is enriched with sweet percussion and warm melodic keys that together with the r&b styled vocals that are full of soul and passion create a laidback feeling. Simply beautiful...
Marcelo Cruz & Joe Rizla "Deep Key Soul Project" (Deep'N'Suond Records CD Promo)
Marcelo Cruz and Joe Rizla team up for the masterfully crafted, gentle "Deep Key Soul Project" release. First up is the title track "Deep key soul", a sweet production featuring a lovely flute and wonderful piano over a percussion enriched smooth yet fierce backing groove. The dub is slightly deeper, stripping the piano and flute to give the track a more underground feeling. Next up is "Oya", a mellow production featuring delightful piano and flute play over a deeply stormin' backing groove.
Dom Navarra featuring Antonio "New life" (Sofitone Records CD Promo)
After the massive remix package of their debut release, Sofitone Records present a truly beautiful production courtesy of mastermind Domenico Navarra which features the soulful voice of Antonio Navarra over a smooth yet deep latinesque backing groove that creates a laidback vibe through the sweet percussion elements and lovely melodies created by wonderful keys. Steven Stone is firing things up on his take with a funk flavored groove, lovely guitar and great chords accompanying the passionate vocals, while Rachel Claudio & Nicolas Vautier give it a unique slightly electronic sounding featuring lovely keys and wicked synths.
Exclusive Preview: Heather Walker "In the morning" (Alex Dimitri South Soul Retouch)(CD-R)
Alex Dimitri delivers something a bit different here, taking on Heather Walker's "In the morning" which is an uplifting gospel song (listen to the original at your MySpace site). Alex Dimitri takes the song to the dance floor by reworking it into a stompin' affair that has a wicked dirty funk edge to it guaranteed to create a frenzy.
Greg Kozo & Rachel Claudio "Love vs geography" (Gordon & Cardell Records CD Promo)
Greg Kozo teams up with singer Rachel Claudio to present the magnificent "Love vs geography", a fierce production based around a deeply thumpin' groove that is enriched with irresistible keys and passionate vocals by Rachel Claudio in its original form. Rachel Claudio together with Nicolas Vautier deliver a cool funk flavored (listen to those classy guitars) reworking that is slightly more laidback, while Greg Kozo goes for a deeper, afro flavored take on the 'Afro Deep Mix'.
Dawn Tallman "Now that I found you" (Mark Stone UDM Remix)(Equal Records CD Promo)
These slammin' remixes by Mark Stone were initially presented back in March this year at the Winter Music Conference on the "Equal Miami 2007 Sampler", now they are finally available. Mark Stone delivers a funkily groovin' reworking of this uplifting production featuring soulful vocals courtesy of Dawn Tallman on a classic vibe with great keys on the vocal and instrumental mixes, while the dub mixes take things to deeper grounds with a catchy piano and great strings riding on top of thumpin' beats.
Ron Allen "Art of luv" (Strobe Records CD Promo)
The first release in 2008 for Strobe Records will be Ron Allen's "Art of luv", a deeply (and we do mean really deep here) thumpin' track featuring lovely keys and wicked spheric chords making this a perfect choice for deeper sets and after hours play. Four different versions included, with the 'Afterglow Mix' and 'Paradise Mix' being differential by the arrangement of keys and chords. The 'Pleasure Mix' adds catchy synths to this, while lastly the 'Seduction Mix' adds extra percussion elements and the same catchy synths - however arranged in a different way - to make it a big room favorite.
Fanel "I have to get you" (2 Delicious Records CD Promo)
Fanel Cornelius has made himself a name for putting out beautiful chill music with his "Carpatica" project - now he presents a solid house production titled "I have to get you" on 2 Delicious Records. His original version a deeply thumpin' affair built around a funktified groove, with lovely chords nicely accompanying the sexy vocals. Mr. Moon gives the track a groovier vibe with extra funky ingredients and a great jazzy sax added, while Jebstone Boppmann takes the track to deeper, more electronic grounds. Lastly Costa Martinez & Dubster deliver a deep and melodic reworking featuring wicked keys that is absolutely fierce.
Exclusive Preview: Tim Scott "That's Nice EP" (Blue City Records CD Promo)
Here we've got a very interesting release from small UK label Blue City Records which presents the lovely "That's Nice EP" courtesy of Tim Scott, offering two different tracks. "Habari" (translated greetings) is an organic broken beat styled mid-tempo track with heavy afro-beat influences that features great jazzy horns and lovely funk flavors. Label head Richie Robinson intensifies the groove to turn the track into a deeply rumblin' funky house gem. "That's nice" is a splendid piece of jacked up house with a true jazzy edge, seeing Richie Robinson once again on remix duties, this time reworking the track into a stompin' affair with a slight electronic touch.