Brett Johnson - Illusion (Subplot Recordings)

Brett Johnson fills a critical role in house music’s underground history. His work for iconic imprints like Classic, Seasons, and 2020 Vision displayed a playful nature missing from most of the electronic landscape. Coupled with recent projects on Get Physical, Visionquest, and Freerange, Brett’s abilities as an innovative artist are undeniable. Subplot Recordings is happy to welcome Brett to the label with three versions of a dizzy concoction called “Illusion.” Each selection is wholly unique and showcases the versatility of Brett’s brain.

B’s Acid House Dub of “Illusion” builds on underground house foundations, riding cutoffs of dusty 303 devices. This acid excursion dances through rounds of playful interpretation keeping bodies moving and brains quaking. B’s Rave Mix is an unforgettable favorite on the project, with stunted Arp baselines and Brett’s classic percussion design. B’s Lost in Thought Mix tempers dizzying effects and sonic spills. An implied heady house jam, Brett covers impressive sonic territory. Listening too closely might drive one a little looney.

Diz Washington (Classic Music Company) – “Just what the doctor ordered!”
Severino (HorseMeatDisco) – “Oh yes, bring it!”
Hector Moralez (Fries & Bridges) – “Nice acid!”
Anthony Mansfield (Roam Recordings) – “Gimme dat Aceeeeed.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) – “Class as usual from Brett. The super spaced out ‘Lost in Thought’ mix is the pick for me, wicked.”
Jimmy Le Mac (Loophole Recordings) - “This is a banger.”
Rees Urban (5 Magazine) – “Love the acid mix, killer.”
Snooba (Radio Panik) – “Infectious Energy.”
Robot84 / Scott Ferguson (Paper Recordings) – “Oh yes. Banging Acid house, love it.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Oh yes. This is the business. 3 storming tracks with the “rave mix” being my fave. 10/10”

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

Jeromy Nail - Don't You (Feel Me) (Uniting Souls Music)

Seattle’s Uniting Souls Music returns for its second release in 2017 with Jeromy Nail’s “Don’t You (Feel Me)” featuring remixes by Brett Johnson and Mikey V.

As part of the Uniting Souls Music collective since the early 2000s, Jeromy sharpened his DJ’ing skills on many late night dance floors, including residencies at the seminal Flammable Sundays – the West Coast’s longest running house weekly twenty years strong – and the (now defunct) electronic dance music haven See Sound Lounge. With releases and remixes for the likes of Viva Recordings, Build It Records, Bomb Recordings, Hype & Soul, House Call, and, of course, the Uniting Souls label, Jeromy’s been busy on the scene.

First up, Jeromy’s original takes the listener on a quirky, tech-house inspired journey built on layers of vocal stabs sprinkled over tinges of acid-flavored synths. With its snappy drum programming and uplifting vibe, the original mix is a unique ride from start to finish.

Next up, veteran DJ / producer Brett Johnson (Classic Music Company, Get Physical) goes a little deeper into the underground, offering up a stripped down and moody version full of lush synths, warm chords, and a thick bass line. With his distinctive style and superb production, Brett’s mix is sure to please.

Closing things out is up-and-coming talent Mikey V. Making waves recently with a slew of originals, remixes, and collaborations on labels such as Classic Music, Electrik Soul, and Salted Music, Mikey raises the energy a few notches with a funky tech-house remix that’s aimed squarely at the dance floor.

DJ Heather (Blackcherry Recordings) – “Diggin’ the original quite a bit. Jeromy is one of Seattle’s best.”
Fer Ferrari (Deepclass Records) – “Bretts mix for me!”
DELLA (No Dial Tone) – “How can one go wrong with this EP? Brett Johnson and Mikey V on the remixes, hell yeah!”
Distant People / Joey Silvero (Seamless) – “I like the subtle build up on this. The bass is wicked.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Recordings) – “This will surely brighten up many dance floors.”
Pete Moss (Recline Records) – “Beautiful release. I love it.”
Makossa (Makossa & Megablast) – “Solid Brett Johnson remix.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “I love all 3 versions. Great single!”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) – “I will be playing this!”
Lee Jones / Country Gents (Buslife) – “This release is f’ing amazing. The original mix I’ve been playing over and over again. For the record, I love all 3 mixes and will be using them constantly at summer parties here in the UK.”

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

Various Artists - Sixteen (Chillin Music)

Chillin Music signals the end of 2016 with an exciting 16 track compilation given the corresponding title of Sixteen. With over a decade of releases spanning the deep and tech house sphere there are plenty of hot options to choose from when assembling a Chillin Music collection. The powers-that-be at Chillin have indeed chosen wisely, and these cuts derive from the label’s recent output as well as featuring many new and unreleased cuts.

Highlights include Pezzner’s remix of Rob Slac & Alec’s “Sounds Right”, the spectacular Roy Davis Jr. remix of Ovidio’s “Get On Up”, and “Dramarama”, Brett Johnson’s rollicking collaboration with vocalist / DJ Red Eye. Chillin Music also has a knack for sussing out new talent, and cuts from Lion González (remixed by label co-founder John Stuart) and Sepehr (with remixes from Rob Slac and Mr. Harting) certainly deliver. Also represented on the full compilation are the likes of Sleazy McQueen, Alexander Maier, Jonas Saalbach, Alvaro Ernesto, Still Rob G, Homero Espinosa, and even more. It’s a jam-packed amalgamation, and should get listeners psyched up for Chillin Music’s 2017 schedule.

Vanilla Ace (OFF Recordings / Bunny Tiger) – “Roy Davis Jr. is the man!”
Murray Richardson (Electrica Salsa) – “Ovidio - Get On Up (Roy Davis Jr. Remix) is the one for me. Top tune!”
Fer Ferrari (Plastic City) – “Rob Slac & Alec – Sounds Right (Pezzner Remix) is for me!”
Ricky Inch (King Street Sounds) – “Solid pack, I like them all.”
DELLA (Classic Music Company) – “Do I have to pick a favorite? Every track is solid! Can’t wait to hear these in the club.”
Tyler Stadius (Deepen) – “Great, original sounding tracks. Dramarama is the one for me.”
Ken Liu (Headset Records) – “Loving all of these, of course! I will play them for sure.”
K-Zan (So Deep Radio Show) – “Bomb EP! Full support on the show.”
Greg Eversoul (Tenampa / Evasive) – “Cool Diverse selection. Good taste!”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “Chillin Music is on a roll. This release is dynamite! The variety of styles evident on this release mean that whatever your house preference, Chillin has something for you.”

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

Rob Slac - Body Movzz (Chillin Music)

Kicking off 2015 right, Chillin Music’s Rob Slac gets down and dirty on his latest groove for the label, "Body Movzz". A driving bass line rumbles beneath contrasting ethereal, chopped vocal samples with crisp hats and snares creating a tight, jackin' rhythm. The lyrics are cut and arranged in witty fashion, flipping the script and threatening to elicit action on the dance floor: "body moves, nobody gets hurt!"

Recently relocated to Berlin, Brett Johnson is no stranger to making bodies move. With over a hundred releases to his name, Johnson is indeed a veteran producer. He deftly expands the vibe of Slac’s original using plenty of swing while maintaining the low end rumble in his funky tech house reshape. The biggest addition is the balance of tense, playful, and poignant Detroit-style synth tones. Better stretch those dancin’ muscles before entertaining this one.

Returning to Chillin after his All Day EP, Oakland native Nackt strips it down rugged and raw with a UK funky-style bass line for his re-rub of "Body Movvz". It’s like break-dancing in a bounce house … just the kind of pandemonium found in the more dutty dancehall scenarios.

Rounding out this release for the special vinyl edition is Chillin’s top selling artist of 2014, Nikola Gala. With releases on Plastic City, Freerange, and Noir Music, Nikola is surely right where he wants to be. Pulling no punches on his rework of Subtron & Markowicz's "Take U In The Back Room", he delivers a hard-hitting techno knockout. It is a pound for pound production, grinding the gears of each element to its limit with the kick, chords, and percussion all on overdrive.

Laurent Garnier - "The Brett Johnson remix is awesome."
Barem (M_nus / Foundsound) - "The original 'Body Movzz' and Brett Johnson's remix for me."
Alland Byallo - "It's all about Nikola Gala's remix. Brett Johnson's mix is dope, too."
Thomas Schumacher - "Loving Nikola Gala's remix."
Hollis P Monroe - "I'm digging all of these."
Colin Dale (Abstrakt Dance) - "Cool track! The Brett Johnson remix is rocking it for me."
Diz (Iz & Diz / Classic) - "Good boogies all around."
Nick Holder - "Dope!"
Chris Fortier (Fade / Mindwarp) - "Really great stuff."
Giom - "Cool stuff."
Matthias Vogt (Motorcitysoul / Larg*e Records) - "A nice remix from Brett Johnson, plus a dance floor monster from Nikola Gala."
DJ Schwa (Shades Of Gray / Beef Records) - "Totally awesome … all three cuts are dope!"
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - "It's great to hear Brett Johnson keeping it down within the deep range. Will support."
Alkalino (Estimativa / Audaz Recordings) - "Nice release. The Nackt remix is my favorite of the lot."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "Brett Johnson's remix is full of attitude and flavor. I love the drums … heavy."
Richie Hartness (untitledmusic) - "Dirty! The original version is the one for me."
Jesus Pablo (Something Different) - "Brett Johnson's remix takes you on a journey … where will you end up? In musical bliss at the least!"
Tariq Ziyad (Planet Rave / Dark Horse) - "I absolutely love this. The original is great and the remixes are also fantastic. A funky bit of techno for good measure."

Available now on vinyl from Deejay.de and Juno Records … available digitally from Beatport.