Cantos & Hamza Rahimtula - Return to the Feelings feat. George JJ Flores (Viva Recordings)

India's deep house don Hamza Rahimtula has joined forces with HMNI Music impresario Cantos for an electric Viva Recordings single, "Return to the Feelings.." The release leads with the instrumental Dub, owing to the pair's allegiance to the DJ's sonic domain. A jazzy drum shuffle immediately signals that this cut is something a little different for the dancefloor, before a rolling sub-bass riff and sparkling chords come on the scene. A glorious half-time breakdown, furthering the jazzy predilection, transmits a moment of half-time bliss before the track builds to funky new heights. The Original version of "Return to the Feelings" follows, featuring GJJF Music's George JJ Flores giving an emotive spoken word statement in the mid-section break, enhancing the cut's already potent amount of cosmicness. Dive into this!

Danny Ward (Moodymanc) – “Loving the happy jazzy chug here...shall be playing this out.”
Cuillere (No Fuss) – “Smooth like silk.”
Ramiro (Uniting Souls Music) – “All the feels on this deep, dubby, jazzy journey. Love both versions, and I love seeing these 3 amazing artists collab!”
Tom Lown aka Lucky Sun (Lucky Sun Recordings) – “Wow what a feel to this. That breakdown …”. Snooba (Radio Panik) – “Nice jazzy vibes!”
Yogi Haughton (DJ Mag) – “This is really nice. The percussion is lovely.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Traxsource, Beatport, And Apple Music.

Madou Kouyate - Nindjougou EP (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records presents a stunning EP with an international touch — an ode to the influence of ethnic global music on the Indian electronic music scene. Madou Kouyate, an extremely talented singer and songwriter from Mali, delivers a 6-tracker that also features Indian producers Hamza Rahimtula and Unnayanna on remix duties.

“Nindjougou” kicks things off, a beautiful song that sparks warmth and speaks to the soul. The tune features Madou’s incredible vocals, delightfully layered with ethnic strings and percussion. “Nindjougou” has an almost folk music feel with an addictive melody filled with uplifting emotion and supported by ethereal stabs.

On the remixes, Hamza keeps things clean and groovy, using elements of the title track judiciously to craft a beachside dance-floor burner. This remix springs to life with a piano stab, giving it a Chicago-house-meets-Africa vibe that retains the flavor of the original while standing out on its own. Unnanyanna’s remix is also special as the afro-house exponent gives “Nindjougou” the acid treatment. The rework also features samples from a xylophone that adds an Asian vibe while a deep, bouncy bass line brings the funk.

Madou Kouyate’s next original track — “Souleymane Sangare” — is more upbeat with a simple yet effective drum pattern coupled with raspy percussions. The song builds with effortless ease, accompanied by buoyant pads that offer the required aural ambiance. Once again it’s Madou’s vocals that stand-out and really take this tune to the next level.

The second of the remixes from the effervescent Hamza is positively breath-taking. The veteran DJ’s incredible ear leads him to produce a track that screams ‘Detroit’ and ‘Disco’ at the same time. It’s a reflection of the influences that have helped shape his music. Cosmic pads accompany a bass guitar riff that will get feet moving, making for a mix to throw down at peak-time or to warm up floor. Rounding out the release is an extended version of “Souleymane Sangare” that can be defined as ‘made for the club’.

Rise Ashen (Balanced Records) – “I’m really feelin’ this.”
Mr. V (Sole Channel Music) – “I love this package guys!”
Alexander East (Planet East) – “The whole EP is banging!”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) – “Beautiful work.”
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) – “Love all the flavors on this one.”
Jose Marquez (Tribe Records) – “Yes! Great release with great mixes for all occasions.”
Norbert Borchers (House Sound Of Hamburg) – “The Hamza Afro Disco Mix of Souleymane Sangare is very cool!”
Damian Charles (Pointblank FM) – “Unnayanaa mix is killer!”
Marcia Carr (Mi-Soul Radio) – “Impressive set of mixes, this single is beautiful.”
Dean Serafini (Frisky Rhythms) – “Both tracks are excellent, Unnayanaa Remix of Nindjougou hitting the post nicely as is the Hamza Afro Disco Mix of Souleymane Sangare. Impressive!”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, Apple Music, And Spotify.

BiGz & Malkov Feat. Below Bangkok - Eastern Lights (Wind Horse Records)

Wind Horse Records is ecstatic to present its latest release, this time from veteran Canadian DJ/producer Adel Ghandour AKA BiGz (and formerly known as BiG AL) in collaboration with Russian DJ/producer Malkov AKA Spring Reason and Croatia’s Amir Jashari AKA Below Bangkok.

The exciting triad join forces and frequencies to land their new single “Eastern Lights,” featuring remixes from Wind Horses’s founder Hamza, Morocco's Kali G, and Sri Lanka's Asvajit.

This release is a representative vision of the global influence and fabric that bind the tapestry of music released on Wind Horse Records. “Eastern Lights” is a gorgeously crafted deep dub-tech groover that could inspire visions of hypnotic space and the introspection of time. Unhurried and unabashedly laid-back, the track is characterized by a lush, enveloping pad to entrance the listener straight away. This is complimented by simple yet effective drums and percussion, mirroring the group’s minimal affinities. A subtle and round bass line helps make this a perfect weapon for the early hours and the after-hours. “Eastern Lights” can be described as an aural trip through the cosmos interpreted the trio.

On remix duties, Hamza renders his own interpretation of “Eastern Lights” with an alluring, ethnic-flavored remix that leans toward the mystical. It’s dance-floor friendly but retains a hypnotic influence and Eastern soul. Hamza's unique individuality and sense for harmony are recognizable. An apt vocal sample is layered effortlessly over the vibe and shows itself fleetingly, adding to the lure of the remix.

Sri Lankan producer Asvajit lends his expertise to conjure a refreshing rerub of “Eastern Lights”. Staying true to the original, the remix is driving and easy-going at the same time. There’s a minimal-dub touch to it, interspersed with well-tuned atmospherics and transitions, complimented by Asvajit's innate ability to craft dance-floor weapons time after time.

Not to be left out, Kali G steps up with his version of “Eastern Lights” which is stripped-down and peppered with piano stabs, vocal snippets, and tropical rhythms. Relentless and addictive, this tune is tailor-made for those high-octane dance-floor moments. A slight departure from his more melodic works, Kali's remake of “Eastern Lights” showcases the incredible versatility and understanding of the dance-floor that he brings to the table with every single track that he works on.

Lorenzo al Dino (7th District Inc.) – “All 4 mixes are well done.”
Pathaan (Globetronica / BBC) – “Full marks for the whole package! Love it.”
SimonG (Volcano Radio) “Quality Sounds across the board. Always a pleasure having these in the DJ and Radio sets.”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing) – “Deep & Seductive! All of these mixes are great.”
Peter Evans (Viva Recordings) – “Lovely deep, atmospheric groove on this one.”
Dean Serafini (Frisky Rhythms) – “The original mix is the one that works best for me. Excellent deep, atmospheric vibes!”
Salvatore Logicfusion (Deepinradio) – “Great vibes. Already playing on Deepinradio.”
Aryan Sharma (Dimension Radio) – “Great pack from the Windhorse stables. Really loving Hamza's remix and Asvajit's remix.”
Steve Perez / DJ P-REZ (Not So Fast Records) – “I like how each track is perfect for all hours of the night … or day!”
Steve 'Griffo' Griffiths (Freak Da Funk Radio Show) – “My fave is the Asvajit Remix, a deep and techy rework that brings to mind some of doc martin's work in years gone by.”

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

Hamza - Make Me (Viva Recordings)

With nearly two decades of epic house music curation and taste-making, Viva Recordings has released landmark productions from artists like Pezzner, Justin Harris, Alexander East, Rick Preston, Demarkus Lewis, Rick Wade, and Johnny Fiasco. Viva once again departs the station in explosive style with the turbo-charged “Make Me” EP, a bullet train of locomotion from Indian producer Hamza. Known for his gritty production infusing a mixture of deep, tribal, and pleasingly off-kilter sounds with world music influences, Hamza fuses the sounds of the East and the West.

Much as prior Viva releases, “Make Me” will inspire heavy rotation in your playlists. “Dopa” finds crunchy percussion blasting the tracks off its roiling tech-infused bass underpinnings. “Make Me” is a sunny daytime dance party affair with deftly arranged flair—hi-hats, hand drums, and chugging keys—married together in syncopated rhythm. Drop Hamza’s “Make Me” EP and be catapulted in transit to the dancefloor.

Greg Dowling (Fish Go Deep) – “Very cool tracks, will play both.”
Craig Stewart (Montana & Steward) – “Love Hamza’s sounds, he knows what he’s doing. Great work!”
Lee Jones / Country Gents (Buslife) – “Wow, this is amazing! I’ve chosen ‘Make Me’ as my fave, but they both float my boat the same. Super grooves, more of this please!”
Ricky Inch (King Street Sounds) – “Thank You! Beautiful tunes, great vibe. I like!”
Tom Lown (Lucky Sun Recordings) – “Top quality lush deep house.”
DJ P-Rez (Not So Fast Records) – “This is a dope project! I will be playing both tracks a lot.”
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite) – “Sweet late night tracks.”
Magnus Asberg (On The House Records) – “Yes! Some serious good deep house here. Full support.”
Tony H (Late Night Munchies, Viva Recordings) – “Dope is DOPE!”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “I love them both. ‘Make Me’ is the pick if I must choose a favorite.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Love this. Very, very classy and oozing quality. I will be playing these for a long time to come.”

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