Groovalicious are tunesmith / producer Jonathan Atkinson and vocalist / lyricist Jon Martin a.k.a Boom, best known as front man for Norman Cook’s (a.k.a Fatboy Slim) 1990s dance chart topping Pizzaman project. After working independently in various styles of dance music, the pair joined together to create the UK garage sound of Groovalicious, debuting in January 2008 with “Love Candy” on soulful Italian House label Gotta Keep Faith Records. Their previous single on 3345 Music, “So Right Tonight,” was a big success, so Groovalicious returns to the label with the disco-fueled “Free Love.” Here they are joined by UK soul singing sensation Diana Waite and the results are spectacular; the soaring vocals of Boom and Waite, the old school house piano and strings, and the snappy four-on-the-floor rhythm combine into a prime time disco house anthem. A trio of hot shot remixes is led by DJ Dennis, proprietor of Philadelphia’s Selekta Recordings label. Dennis’ mix is a dubby, late night house treatment featuring some rolling bottom end, processed percussion, and just enough vocal to carry over the soulful vibe of the original. It’s a definite after-hours floor filler. Alexander East, the renowned house music vocalist / producer with a discography a mile wide, is next on hand with his Love Affair Dub. Alexander takes things much deeper, deftly cutting up the vocals in rhythmic swipes as the funky kick and hi-hat interplay drives the track through a hypnotic build. The final remix comes from Vital and Hubb, the Dallas-based duo familiar to followers of 3345 Music. Their Deep Tech Dub does what it says on the tin in a resounding fashion. It’s a moody reconstruction with sleek beats, pulsating synth chords, and echoey vocal hits from the original dubbed out for a spacey effect. Cool stuff here, and a nice cap on a quality package from 3345 Music and Groovalicious.
Giom - “The Alexander East mix is absolutely wicked!”
Jask - “Vital and Hubb’s Deep Tech Dub for me.”
Marques Wyatt - “Tight.”
Inland Knights - “Loving the techy funk on AE’s love affair dub … will play for sure.”
Nutritious (Brooklyn Shakedown) - “Rumble and thunder … the DJ Dennis mix for me!”
Dave Mayer (Strictly Rhythm) - “AE’s Love Affair Dub is dope.”
Lorenzo al Dino (7th District) - “Tuuuuune alert!”
Ben Mono - “Cool stuff found here. I will play it for sure.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Deadbeat Disco) - “All over the Alexander East remix here … superb! Loving the percussion and bounce in the groove. Total winner!”
Davidson Ospina - “Funky as hell! Yeah, dropping this…”
Christos Kedras (Kapa Music) - “DJ Dennis’ mix for me … Dark and groovy and in the bag.”
Peter Borg (Simply Salacious) - “I saw Alexander East was involved and got excited … then I listened to the whole package and every track is a banger!”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House) - “The fiery disco-funk inspired original is the one for me … glorious melodies, uplifting vocals, and captivating rhythms make this one a winner.”
Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.