Juno Recommends Funky House Best of 2019

Review: There are a lot of much-loved Kerri Chandler records, but it would be fair to say that 1998's "Rain" - originally tucked away on the flipside of "The Mood EP" - is one of the most celebrated. Here it gets given the re-edit treatment by arguably the world's most celebrated editor, Danny Krivit. The veteran New Yorker gets busy with the original version on the A-side, focusing on the soulful, improvised vocals, tasty minor key melodies, skipping drums and warm, rich synth bassline. Over on the flip, Krivit turns his attention to Atjazz's later remix, which re-imagines the track as a breezy chunk of Latin house rich in live pianos, bossa-driven beats, hissing cymbals and some choice vocal snippets.

Review: The latest missive on GAMM is something of a biggie. It features two superb reworks of classic cuts by Pharoah Sanders and Roy Ayers courtesy of Opolopo, a house producer whose cuts always have plenty of synth-fired funk and lashings of soul. He brilliantly transforms Sanders' "You've Got To Have Freedom" into a rubbery, Latin-tinged house number, underpinning the original jazz cut - complete with righteous vocals and killer trumpet solos - with an ace new bassline and beefed-up beats. He takes a different approach on his revision of Roy Ayers' "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", re-casting it as a rolling and chunky house number full of suspenseful string parts, twinkling pianos and Ayers' titular vocal.

Review: Back in the 1990s, Pauline Henry was the voice behind the Chimes and their stunningly soulful mid-tempo hit, "Heaven". This 12", which is dedicated to the late, great Paul "Trouble" Anderson, boasts fresh, club-ready remixes of the singer's solo cover of that loved-up club classic. Masters At Work man Louie Vega handles the A-side, placing Henry's fine vocal above a bed of swinging NYC house beats, fluid piano motifs and string-laden chords. Arguably even better is DJ Spen and Reelsoul's flipside revision, a more electronic affair with jauntier synth flourishes, elongated organ solos and a bumpin' rhythm track.

Review: Having first appeared on Toolroom way back in 2013, Richard Dinsdale AKA Weiss is one of the label's longest serving artists. He's also one of the most prolific, with this strong outing being his 16th single for Mark Knight's imprint. "Let Me Love You", a bouncy contemporary cover of Kariya's 1988 house classic, has all the makings of a massive hit. The A-side original version combines classic elements - bold piano riffs and synths that subtly doff a cap to Kariya's version - with heavy electro-house bass and bumpin' beats. Over on side B, Dinsdale pumps it up further on a jacking piano-house take that's sweatier than a sauna full of gyrating, leather-clad bikers.

Review: New label LDF clearly understands the need to make a big first impression, because this soul-flecked single from Angel-A and producer Rahaan - one of Chicago's true underground heroes - is a very impressive debut. Rahaan's A-side "Original Mix" is rhythmically tough and crunchy - think weighty drum machine kicks and snares - but also warm and woozy, with Angel-A's superb vocal rising above rich electric piano chords and jazzy synthesizer flourishes. Over on side B Karizma takes over, offering up a "Kaytronik Truth Dub" that wraps hypnotic, mangled electric piano notes, analogue bass and tech-tinged flourishes around a wonderfully locked-in but percussively lively rhythm track. It's very different to the original but exceptionally deep and floor-friendly.

Review: As far as funky house power partnerships go, how about Bobby & Steve and Byron Stingily teaming up, with Louie Vega on remix duties? As you might expect, this record is teeming with soulful, gospel-powered vibes, next level musicianship and Stingily's eternally life-affirming voice at the centre of the storm. Louie Vega's "Roots NYC Remix" of "They Can't Understand It" is a sure shot of club ready perfection - a super tight rhythm section, all the coolest parts looped up and a sweet bass groove to lock on to. However Bobby & Steve's original production is an irrepressible burst of joy, all overheating organs and huge chorus lines, massive drum fills and funky clav - it's maximal to the max and bold enough to reach the stars.

Review: Coming from the Constant Black family but distinctly committed to the evergreen sound of disco, Cardiology is a label committed to club music with heart and soul. First up on this label is Earl, who wastes no time in setting the mood with "The Fantasy", a tastefully funked up house joint with French Touch leanings. "No You Don't" brings the disco to the fore even more, but not at the expense of hard-pumping beats and a killer diva lick or two. "No Speed Limit" is tough and pounding, which makes the sliced up samples dig in all the deeper - you could totally imagine DJ Bone juggling this one to death. "Strictly Real" takes things even further with a spaced out breakbeat speckled bumper lavished with gorgeous string shots - a curious blend that works like a dream.

Review: One of the world's premier DJ Duo's, Chus & Ceballos are well known for their uniquely energetic sets that feature hard hitting techno influences but still retain an essential connection to pure American house Music. Their music shines particularly bright in the summer, when their driving percussions impact even bigger during outdoor festivals and in the European summer clubbing markets. For their new release on Nervous, they have found a song initially released by DJ Michael Flume in 2001 called Agolele. While the release had limited exposure in its initial release, Chus & Ceballos were inspired by the authentic tribal flavor and inspired instrumentation, and saw a vision of how they could turn this into a 2019 summer club anthem. The result is out now exclusively on a Nervous Records vinyl release.