Review: Native Soul Recordings has been around a long old time in dance music terms and now it looks back over some of its finest works with this first in a new series of Best Of comps. Music writer Harold Heath is first up with 'Slipstream,' an effortless smooth late-night house cut with introspective chords and silky pads bringing real depth. The Candy Dealers get more lithe and elastic with the spraying bass and jumbled percussive house of 'Train Of Thought' and last of all, Asad Rizvi remixes Jevne's 'Moderize' with a funky little bassline and chord vamps that keep you on edge. A tasteful package of timeless house grooves.
Review: Moiss Music released a hot pair of EPs in February and repeat the same trick in May with another quality double drop. It is a various artists offering as always with DJ Delivery's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' a sure-fire floor-filling anthem to start things off. It's got loopy drums and string samples as well as sumptuous vocal harmony then Borka & The Gang keep the feel-good vibes alive with 'Kidding Feelings and Even Funkier's' Dance With Your Feet' is another smile-inducing bit of disco warmth with withering sic-fi synths and hip swinging claps. Jordan Reece's 'Prayer' has hints of gospel in the vocal while noodling keys and tight kicks all get looped to perfection.
Little Orphan Boy (Two Soul Fusion Downtempo remix) (10:25)
Little Orphan Boy (Two Soul Fusion instrumental) (14:00)
Review: Josh Milan and Louie Vega are real heavyweights and as Soul Fusion they step up here to remix the legendary 'Little Orphan Boy' which is the second single taken from album 'This Is Brian Jackson', the veteran artist's first true solo LP in over 20 years. They do so across four different versions and give it a vintage treatment. The extended 'Two Soul Fusion' mix brings back golden era of Masters at Work with a Latin-infused percussion groove while the 'Downtempo' remix lets Brian Jackson's vocals ride over a stripped back but just as soulful arrangement.
Review: Veteran Aussie artist Kaz James returns with a dynamic double A-side that finds him laying down some slick tech-house vibes underpinned with catchy grooves. 'Rocker In The Disco' has a fleshy low end that rumbles with real weight as spiralling chords add scale. It's a moody cut that keeps you on edge then on the flip side, 'Dance Her Right' maintains the energy with punchy basslines and catchy hooks. It's a more buoyant sound designed to lock in dancers and take them to the next level. Both tracks have become key features in his sets at events like Art Basel, Burning Man, and Pacha Ibiza and following the success of his hit 'Sun is Shining' he shows he still has plenty more to say.
Review: J & M Music Co US welcomes LeBaron James for another standout four-tracker that brings raw house and smooth disco together on one EP. Up first is 'Always Be True' is a deceptively simple sound that brings straight-up dancefloor beats with hooky pads. 'House Party' then has more heavy kicks and wild percussive patterns to liven up any party and 'One' then brings a more cool and laid-back disco groove that has a slick modern twist. Last but not least is 'Sugar And Spice' which brings a touch of sophisticated and chic instrumental vibes. It's a fourth different sound on a versatile EP.
Luther Vandross - "Until You Come Back To Me" (7:52)
Review: Chicago DJ and producer JayCee Indamix is back to take care of the second instalment of the Ginzu Edits series. Up first is legendary New York street poet and soul innovator Gil Scott-Heron whose lovely 'Grandma's Hands' gets a funky rework with some busy broken beats and layers of extra instrumentation. On the flip is another classic, this time from the great Luther Vandross. His 'Until You Come Back To Me' becomes a deep and funky house cut with soaring vocals framed in a soulful groove with lots of special effects adding a contemporary twist.
Review: French producer Jehan is next up on Blur Records with a new EP, TV Screen, that shows that he has a sophisticated approach when it comes to bending free jazz with electronic music and a love of hip-hop. The latter of those is evident in the title of the opener, '92 Till Infinity', which pairs lazy keys with lazier beats and soul drenched vocals. 'Montre Suisse' (feat Donnie Moustaki) has dusty beats that sound like they might fall over themselves topped with warm organ chords and 'You Win' (feat Scruscru & Meowsn) then brings a sweet and swaggering deep house vibe. The flip keeps the slow burning and late night feelings alive with a trio of loved up, well sampled, blissed out beats.
Jamma D - "Don't Wanna Leave The Couch Today" (4:20)
Roche - "House Shuffle Boogie" (6:13)
Darone Sassounian - "Arms" (6:18)
Review: This deep, jazzy and lo-fi house 12" is perfect for escaping at this time of year as the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and the general weight of modern life can get all too much. It comes from an array of standout producers from around the world including Darone Sassounian, Jamma D and Jarren from Los Angeles, Roche from Portland and Morris Mobley from Nancy, France. Between them, they offer the cuddly, cloudy depths of 'Drippin'' (Sauce dub), humid and jazzy heat of the sumptuous 'Don't Wanna Leave The Couch Today', playful rhythms of 'House Shuffle Boogie' and more besides.
JR From Dallas & Justnique - "Detroit Drums" (4:27)
Review: The Lisztogrooves series is back and we're glad about it. The first one was essential and this follow-up from Igor Gonya's label features a blend of heavy hitters next to some cool emerging talents. Opening with Manuel Sahagun's smooth deep house track 'Get Yourself' things move on to a taste of US house from Human By Nature, who serves up a rich atmosphere and nostalgic 90s piano riffs. The A-side finishes strong with Gramophonedzie's high-energy jackin' filter workout then on the B-side, French producer Naux creates a deep groove built around chord stabs. Stogov follows with the soulful 'Walking Wide' while JR From Dallas and Justnique wrap up the EP with a seductive deep house finale.
Review: Rush Hour has been one of Europe's independent musical powerhouses for decades now. Now only does it have Amsterdam's best record shop, but it throws the best parties and puts put the fresh new records from several different genres. next to that of course they also know how to dig deep and unearth vital reissues, which is what they do here with a triple headed Japanese house affair. Katsuya Sano keeps it OG Chicago with his 'I Need Luv', then Junichi Soma offers the analogue depths of 'Ubnormal Life' and Shuji Wada shuts down with more brilliantly atmospheric sounds on 'Endless Load.'
Review: Germany's Editor Amore label continues to serve up lovable edits on hand stamped 12"s. This one kicks off with Lee Stefano & Simone Lebon's take on 'Dolci Emozioi.' It is a big, acid tinged and spangled disco tune with a chugging groove that slowly but surely works you into a lather. On the flip side, things grow a little more loose and playful as Jakobin & Domino link up to edit 'Amore In Fuga.' It's a delay-drenched, fat bottomed disco stomper with big vocals and plenty of lush strings.
The Sunburst Band - "He Is" (Jimpster remix) (7:21)
Joey Negro - "I Recognise" (feat Sacha Williamson - Andres remix) (6:27)
Prospect Park - "The Kinda Love" (Jkriv remix) (8:06)
Jakatta - "My Vision" (feat Seal - The Vision remix) (7:03)
Review: Dave Lee aka Joey Negro has pulled together a fine team of remixers here to serve up their own versions of tunes by him, Jakarta, The Sunburst Band and Prospect Park, all for his own Z Records. Freerange boss and deep house Don Jimspter goes first and brings real sunshine to his take on 'He Is.' Detroit badman Andres then does what he does best to 'I Recognise', that is layering in hip hop slanted beats and nice rolling baselines under lush chords. On the flip are two more positive house vibrations to make this a handy EP.
Review: British artist Jack Latham aka Jam City is back with a new album a full decade after his debut 'Classical Curves' made for a head turning debut. EFM (the artists debut on Diplo's Mad Decent) is a record that looks at the experiences we had and during our early and formative clubbing years with plenty of engaging and pop-tinged sounds that draw on reggaeton, house, and club. Elements of guitar driven soul and plenty of melancholic tenderness all define this most heartfelt and loved up record as it gets from tender moments to more euphoric outpourings with swelling pads, breakdowns and drops that are all easy to predict but hard to not feel deep inside.
Review: Who better to tell the story of house music than one of its main early protagonists? Marshall Jefferson penned plenty of Chicago's greatest early records and as a DJ helped lay the foundations for the sound too. As such he is a perfect choice for Defected's House Masters series and does a fine job of laying out some of its finest moments on this brilliant new mix. No matter how many times you hear these OG gems they still resonate, from the passionate vocals of Ten City to the iconic chords of 'Someday' via the darker jack of Jefferson under his Hercules alias this is an essential listen.
Review: In recent interviews, Justice explained that fourth album Hyperdrama - the wildly successful French duo's first for seven years - was born out of the idea of getting elements of disco, funk and electronic music to "fight with each other" (rather than smoother co-existence). Given the forthright and sometimes abrasive nature of their work, it's an idea in keeping with their career to date. Musically, what we get is a mixture of their usual electroclash and rave-inspired riffs and motifs, and basslines, strings and other instrumentation rooted in black dance music of the 1970s and '80s. When the fusion lands - as it does much of the time - it's a unique and thrilling fusion. For proof, check Tama Impala hook-up 'One Night/All Night', the Italo disco/jazz-funk/electro-house fusion of 'Incognito', and the wonderful slow-boogie mutation 'Saturine'.
Review: If there was ever a duo with the bombast and flair to pull off the 18-minute electro-rock-opera, it's surely Justice. Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay created Planisphere in the wake of conquering the world with their debut album Cross, initially for use on the catwalk but subsequently shared on their MySpace. Of course such releases now attain a kind of cult mythos, and Planisphere is no exception. In the Ed Banger era of dirty French touch, this is a fans dream come true - the gnarly monster that keeps on giving, now pressed up on a single side of vinyl for continuous listening, with a classy etching on the reverse.
Review: Justice's original soundtrack for A Cross The Universe, the 2008 documentary film charting the French house duo's rise to just power. Lady justice smiles on Romain Gavras and co.; classics such as 'D.A.N.C.E.', 'We Are Your Friends', and 'Genesis' all appear, complementing isolated yet dreamy moments captured from the band's 2008 tour.
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