DJ Daniel D - Homemade Grooves #1 - SynthFunk Music

From the bustling streets of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to the heart of the global house music scene, DJ Daniel D has been spinning tracks that resonate with the soul of dance floors around the world. With Homemade Grooves #1, his latest EP offering under the vibrant banner of SynthFunk Music, Daniel invites us on a sonic journey that bridges the gap between the nostalgic echoes of the '70s funk and disco and the pulsating rhythms of modern house, nu-disco, and beyond. Here's a time machine with a disco ball, powered by synthesizers and an unquenchable passion for the groove.

The EP kicks off with "Just Funk," a track that grabs the listener by the collar, pulling one straight onto the dance floor. Its squelchy bass lines and bongo percussions resemble Italo escapades of yore, but the bright synthesizer chords and a relentless four-on-the-floor rhythm are all about getting your feet moving in the here and now. "Don't Miss It" takes a turn into the late-night vibes of a Chicago warehouse, with its classic house sound peppered with snazzy 808 snare rolls and deep keys, all built around a cheeky sample from an '80s movie favorite. The closing track, "Life Boat," offers a mid-tempo respite, layering arpeggiated synths over a driving techno bass line, with dramatic piano chords adding just the right amount of emotional heft to the EP's finale.

SynthFunk Music has indeed captured lightning in a bottle with Homemade Grooves #1, delivering a collection of tracks that feel simultaneously classic and fresh. This exceptional release is a vibrant, living entity that beckons one to dance, dream, and dive deep into the heart of house music.

Psycho-Jones (Kater Blau) – “This is really great! Can’t wait to spin the tracks.”
DJ Harri (Sub Club) – “Lovely stuff, will play and promote.” Anthonne Shepherd (BoogieKnights) – “Some really nice vibes here. Each track has elements that I’m digging.”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “This is a top notch release.”
Simon Kirk (Proton Radio) – “3 absolute storming 80’s tinged House gems! Wonderful release.”
Bruce Tantum (DJ Mag) – “Loving this one. Really effective stuff, should work great on the dancefloor.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Beatport, Bandcamp, And Spotify.

Mizt3r - Dancing To The Moonlight (Discobox Records)

Brazil’s Discobox Records unleashes the “Dancing to The Moonlight” EP by Mizt3r, a dancefloor-worthy groove monster anchored by a funky bassline with vocal cuts and a catchy synth loop. “Pressure Cooker” is a deep and driving rhythmic track punctuated by sharp drums and percussion. The DJ Daniel D remix breathes new life into the original with atmospheric pads, jazzy piano riffs, and synth solos. The melting pot of Brazil has left an indelible mark on both Mizt3r and DJ Daniel D’s production styles. No other country merges patchwork genre styles from diasporas of Africa and Europe, and it’s rare that musicians traverse influences with such ease within one release.

Mizt3r began DJing in 1992 and is now considered one of the most important names in the Brazilian house music scene. He had a residency at Spain’s Espaço Factory in Santo André beginning in 1995, and has since played Mermaid, Pacha, Garage, MOB Festival, Sónar and Free Jazz Festival events, among others. Remixer Daniel D hails from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and references disco, nu-disco, Italo-disco, acid house and jazz in his productions and remixes. Give it a listen, and let’s disco!

Joey Silvero (Distant People) (Soul Elements Radio Show) – “Cool nod to the olds school but with a full modern feel. I love all the samples used here.”
Salvatore Logicfusion (Deepinradio) – “Hot Grooves!”
Simon Francis (The Visionaires) – “Some nice vibes on this EP.”
DJ SaF (Kaleydo Records) – “Another good release for my sets.”
Alien Tom (Native Alien) – “top tune.”
DJ Phil T (DJ Times) – “Very cool. I love Dancing To The Moonlight.”
Koma (Jacbri Radio Show) – “Cool Stuff here.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “I love the originals. Pressure Cooker in particular is wicked!”
Different Grooves (Differentgrooves.com) – “Lovely oldschool flavor.”
DJ Alexia (KarmicPowerRecords) – “Fab tunes! Will definitely support on my radio shows and in clubs.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, And Spotify.

Various Artists - Our Disco Vol. 2 (Discobox Records)

Discobox Records presents the latest installment of its Our Disco compilation series, presenting fresh music from the label’s already established roster in addition to new faces joining the cast. This time Discobox showcases artists from the label’s home base of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Opening the set, DCW (AKA Gustavo Castro) presents the immediately danceable “Red Shoes”. With a background playing in bands and exploring different musical styles Gustavo has managed to develop a unique approach to dance music. His debut on Discobox is a beautiful track using filtered synths, sharp bass line, and a classic, soul-stirring vocal that you just might recognize.

Next up, Gustavo Peluzo keeps the vibes deep with his flowing track “Return”. Besides being a prolific producer, Gustavo is also longtime resident DJ of the legendary Deputamadre Club and has developed superb skills both in DJ’ing and producing music.

The third track brings a returning name from the series. Juliano Maia joined the first compilation with great feedbacks with the excellent electro-inspired “Shake”. Now he presents “The Volume”, a work lovingly influenced by classic house music, with his own added touch.

Cury is a brand new name to the label, and was one of the members of Funky Fat band, recently going solo. His contribution – titled “Dope” – follows the pumping but deep tech-house style he plays in his sets, featuring a rolling bass line, sexy vocal snippets, and emotive synths.

Rounding out the package, DJ Daniel D goes straight into the funky acid house field with “Find A Place”. This potent club cut includes Daniel’s characteristic extra fat bass line and old-school 808 shots joining modern synths and drums.

From disco to house, to nu-disco, tech-house and classic old-school retro sounds … this is what Discobox is all about. Let’s disco!

Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) – “Killer release – 5 stars all around!”
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse) – “Every track is super fun to play. Awesome!”
Chemars (Ginkgo Music) – “I like ‘Red Shoes’ the best. Groovy disco stuff, will support.”
Deepshizzol (MyHouse YourHouse Radio) – “Nice remix / re edit on ‘Red Shoes’. Really like ‘Return’ as well.”
Jota (Deputamadre) – “Wow! The Volume and Find A Place are awesome!”
Severino (HorseMeatDisco) – “Fun fun!”
Edground (Grooveland Music) – “Very nice groove here.”
DJ Jazzy L (Jazzy Lounge Radio) – “Red Shoes is pure fire!”
SimonG (Volcano Radio) – “Solid tunes for the switched on dance floor.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Great selection here but top place goes to ‘Find a place’.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, And Spotify.

DJ Daniel D - Ostinatos / Jack Made Me (Discobox Records)

What started as a humble party in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, back in 2006 has since outgrown itself in vision. DJ Daniel D and promoter Vinilcius have shifted focus, determined to push their Discobox night’s musical concept on a greater scale. In 2013 they emerged as a label with one foot in the past and the other toeing the future - imagining a ’70s dance move in today’s skinny jeans, and that’s one hell of a spilt. Sonically they look to blend that era’s disco and the classic house sounds that followed with modern nu-disco and tech house sheen.

Discobox's latest release features co-founder DJ Daniel D with a double A-side single. No stranger to the label's discography, he's previously released under the name Dansoul and as part of the duo Shake Machine. With a more straight-forward, dance floor-focused sound Daniel debuts under his solo DJ name, revealing the rollicking "Ostinatos" and "Jack Made Me".

"Ostinatos" is intro'ed with catchy, staccato piano chords and squelchy synth hits before a frenetic but appealing bass line takes hold. Layers of bouncy percussion and splashes of a vocal chant ("You know what's up!") add spice to the track's irresistible party flavor. Next up, "Jack Made Me" hints at classic house music in its title and is appropriately spilling over with that vibe. The funk quotient is ratcheted up with filtered guitar riffs, an old school Moog bass, and some shouts to call the dance floor to action. Prime movers.

Vanilla Ace - "This is a nice one."
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "Great sound!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Both tracks are solid. I love the way 'Ostinatos' builds and the vibe is totally on point."
Natural Rhythm - "'Jack Made Me' … nice old-school-but-still-modern vibe. A good groover."
DJ Craig C (Pound Boys) - "Fun stuff … takes me back to the '80s!"
Vincent Kwok - "Great stuff! 'Ostinatos' for me."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "'Ostinatos' is a solid and chunky house cut … that bass is something else!"
Chris Massey (Paper Recordings / Electriks) – “I will definitely drop this bad boy. Great jackin’ disco vibes.”
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) - "Cool people movers … will be fun for layering in mixes."
Jamie Topham (CDPool) - "I'm swaying more toward the retro 'Jack Made Me' cut on this cool two tracker."
Richie Roberts (The Dance Factory, BBC Radio) - “’Jack Made Me’ is huge. It’s going to explode on my floors ... fierce funky house music.”

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, iTunes, and Spotify.