Jaymz Nylon - Inner Flight (Innerflight Music)

Jaymz Nylon is regarded as the progenitor of afro-tech, a spiritual fusion of African, Latin, and jazz rhythms within a modern club context. In 2012, this veteran producer and DJ — who has been releasing records for over two decades — moved from New York to Seattle and quickly established himself as a tireless champion of sophisticated house music in the Northwest with his Passage nights at the Seattle clubs Electric Tea Garden (RIP) and Kremwerk.

For Nylon's Innerflight Music debut, the label and artist have augmented the similarly titled “Inner Flight” with four varied remixes. The original features The Mystic Vibes (a local vibraphone virtuoso) and finds Nylon combining the spiritual with the physical in a work that's a paragon of earthy, celestial house music. It features Nylon's deadpan baritone intonation, recited as if in a hypnotic state: “This is a journey / of loving and learning / This is an inner flight / come on and take a ride / to a place where you can fly.” The transcendent nature of the lyrics is mirrored by the plush keyboard and vibraphone penumbras hovering over the casually bustling rhythmic foundation, all of which are more interesting and organic in essence than your usual house productions. Nylon's own Afrotech Reshape adds shakers, emphasizes hand percussion, and brings to the fore the serpentine melody, which elevates the track to even more sublime heights than his initial template.

As the first remix offered, Montana DJ / producer Kris Moon beefs up the bass and revamps the no-nonsense, hip-smacking four-on-the-floor rhythm into something you might have heard in an early-'90s Detroit techno classic. As is typical with anything Moon touches, the aura is deep, trippy, and cerebral. Joe Bellingham's Reimagined Mix muscles up the kick and reduces the vocal to a few percussive tics, ramping up “Inner Flight” to a smoothly propulsive floor-filler in the process. Veteran Seattle producer Bob Hanssen (of duo Jacob London) offers the most radical transformation here, bringing in church bell tones and upward-spiraling synth arpeggios while making Nylon's voice sound omnipresent. Hanssen has almost totally eradicated the rhythm, repurposing the track for a swirling, eventful house-of-worship experience.

Jaymz Nylon, The Mystic Vibes, and company combine to create an inimitable sound listeners will be hard pressed to find anything else like -- something for more daring and creative souls.

Pezzner - "This has to be one of my favorite Innerflight Releases yet. Jaymz is a visionary, Hanssen flipped the script blissfully as expected, and I'll definitely be supporting Joe Bellingham's version in the clubs. Quality."
Terry Francis - "Joe Bellingham's mix for me."
Daniel Bortz (Suol / Pastamusik) - "Cool one."
Satoshi Fumi - "Love the percussion in this."
Justin Harris (Music For Freaks) - "Joe Bellingham's mix is great."
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - "The Kris Moon version does it for me … lovely release."
Bill Brewster (DJHistory) - "I really like the original and the other Jaymz Nylon mix. Both are good and very useable."
Hippie Torrales - "Nice!"
Alkalino (Estimativa / Audaz Recordings) - "I love the original, and will try out the remixes."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Some serious percussive vibes right here … I'm digging the original, Joe Bellingham's mix, and -- in particular -- Jaymz's Afrotech version."
Jeff Berger (Dope Den / Fr33dom People) - "I'm digging the dreamscape of Kris Moon's remix … some chunky ankles dancing around in there!"
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "Great drum work on this … quality summer feel."
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Simply outstanding … this one's straight into my top ten and I will be hammering it. Well done on a beautiful release."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Glass Slipper - Universal Love Vibe (Whiskey Pickle)

Whiskey Pickle Records is proud to welcome Austin-based vocal house duo Glass Slipper to their ever-impressive roster of artists. Comprised of producer BradElectro and former Real McCoy vocalist Lisa Cork-Twiss, the pair create an infectious, bubbly sound that oozes sophistication and positive vibes.

The lead cut, “Universal Love Vibe”, is a groovy, pulsating house joint that is right at home in the 21st century yet channels the authentic sound of Chicago’s heyday with characteristically pumping bass. Nylon Trax bossman Jaymz Nylon drops in and creates an earth shattering, percussive remix that fulfills the original's cosmic destiny with swirling synths. Meanwhile, Whiskey Pickle artist Zack Highwire takes listeners down a deep, dark wormhole into another dimension with spaced out, time warped effects.

“Caught Up” is a welcome addition to the package and showcases the exceptional talents of the duo. Skittering percussion and a choppy bass line swing confidently while Lisa’s soulful voice laments over tumultuous relationships. London’s own Black Magic Disco injects his signature garage-infused sound into his remix with a torrent of chord stabs. Johnny Blackouts then drops the tempo for his swerving DWI Dub, an arresting remake that’ll send the party grooving with the fuzz down at the precinct.

Todd Edwards - “Catchy vocal on ‘Caught up’ … Black Magic Disco remix does it for me.”
Tyree Cooper - “Lovin’ it!”
Ursula 1000 (ESL Music) - “Hot-n-heavy!”
Mr. V (Sole Channel Music) - "Nice vibes."
Walter Jones (Utopiano Productions / DFA) - “Great album … nice work on ‘Universal Love Vibe’!” Groove Assassin - “I'm feeling the Black Magic Disco mix … nice stuff!”
Hard Ton (Gigolo / Permanent Vacation) - “I’m really enjoying ‘Caught Up’ and its groovy ’90s vibe.”
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) - “I’m really feeling Johnny Blackouts' dub and the Zack Highwire remix on this pack. Extra cool points for the Real McCoy vocalist!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Nice chord movements on the Black Magic Disco remix, I really like the change … doin’ it for me.”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “‘Caught Up’ original is very old school … love it!”
Anna Wall (Future Disco / Tough Luck Records) - "I love it! This reminds me of the soulful old school Defected material from the masters. Great stuff."
Lorenzo al Dino (7th District) - “All mixes have the Glass Slipper flair … full support!”
DJ P-Rez (Not So Fast Records) - “I'm loving what everybody is bringing to the table on this EP! As far as a fave, I have to go with that Johnny Blackouts remix … the kind of late night, spaced out, dark and dubby sound that I just love.”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The Jaymz Nylon remix of the already stellar opener is next level … I dig the deeper, percussion-driven remix.”
Velanche (KCPR 91.3 FM) - “Massive EP … all tracks are killer! The originals are great and the remixes blazing!”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House Web Zine) - “Wicked garage-ish remix by Black Disco is sure to rock the floor.”
Jason Jenkins (101X FM) - “Zack Highwire turns up the bass line for this ‘Universal Love Vibe’ remix!”
Joan Ribas (Ibiza Soulstice Music) - “Love it … one of my favorite labels right now.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

La Rose - 26 (Sound Vessel Records)

Sound Vessel Records is a label out of San Diego, California, but with a global scope. Their new release features Marvin La Rose, an artist from the Netherlands, and remixers hailing from Romania, Spain, Hungary, and America. Titled "26," the single is a deep, swirling, progressive effort from Marvin, operating under the nom de plume La Rose. Wavering synths create an immersive experience through a heady atmosphere, only interrupted by brooding vocal chops.

Starting off the remixes, Addex is a Bucharest-based artist of many aliases for sounds ranging from relaxing downtempo lounge to minimalistic tech house, delivering a back-to-basics deep house remix for this single. Spaniard Ivan Garci enters straight into his rework with a massive sub kick, indicative of things to come as he basses up the track while maintaining the moody background elements of the original. Hungarian artists SpecDub and D.M.P, or Laszlo Szunyogh and Reisz Róbert respectively, both employ minimal tech touches, but with SpecDub offering a more driving, punchy kick-propelled remix while D.M.P touches on a more laid-back and scattered groove. Finally, Brooklyn's Jaymz Nylon repurposes "26" in his renowned Afrotech style, really letting the distorted low end synth shine within the playful patter of shakers and wooden percussive instruments that substitute for claps. La Rose and company have delivered a journey of spacey, tech- accented house for Sound Vessel.

Anthony Pappa (Red Light District / Bedrock) - “The best mix is the original mix and l will support it.”
Randall Jones (Audio Therapy / Baroque) - “The SpecDub remix sounds good. I will give it rotation this weekend for sure.”
Tom Lown (Savoir Faire / Lost My Dog) - “I’m particularly digging the Ivan Garci remix with its simple / minimal and deep feel.”
Hippie Torrales - “Nice and deep.”
Richie Hartness (untitled music) - “Splendid stuff … great atmospheric excellence.”
Dr. Motte (PRAXXIZ) - “Very deep tunes here.”
Atnarko (Noir / infiltr8:Celebr8) - “Nice, swirly house music.”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - “Some of my favorite artists all together in one release. Fantastic. So much deepness and groove all at once.”
Toki Fuko (DP–6 Records / Manuscript Records) - “Perfect. Smooth and groovy.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Nicely done grooves. The SpecDub version is the one which I’m feeling the most … it adds some bump to the vibe.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - “The original and Ivan Garci mixes for me … dreamy!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Pure deepness … atmospheric vibe. Great for festival action in dark tents.”
Leri Ahel (Mutant Disco Radio Show) - “A solid release. I like the Jaymz Nylon remix.”
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music) - “The Ivan Garci mix stands out for me. A great set opener.”
Mark Mac (The Sounds Collective) - “Wow, what a stunning tune … and with Addex, DMP, and Ivan Garci doing remix duties you can’t go wrong. Cracking track and amazing remixes.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “A sure-fire late night weapon.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “I love it. A dreamy release on the deep side of house with some eclectic edges. My favorite is Jaymz Nylon’s remix, offering his ‘afro-tech’ spirit and the result is excellent.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Geiger and Lafelt - Walking In The Rain EP (Nylon Trax)

Nylon Trax’s newest release pairs the Michigan-based DJ Nigel One (aka Nigel Geiger, Intimate Venues Recordings) with the west coast’s Marques LaFelt for the abstract deep house of the Walking In The Rain EP. Together as Geiger and Lafelt, they step out into the crosswalk between them to present four tracks of raw, atmospheric house music with a touch of that exotic, soulful Nylon Trax vibe. The EP’s title track starts things off with a springy kick. Deep pads connected by a subtle string introduce shimmering bells, cymbals, and tambourines that rustle about, sometimes in reverse. A sliding bass guitar creates consistent groove, joined by flutes and bongos later in the track. The suggestively titled “Midnight Drive” travels through dreamy territory with dusty synths and xylophone flutters. The gears are turned by a distorted kick, snappy snares, and a bass line with plenty of midrange. “We Can Talk” is a conversation with filters. The synths pass through in arpeggiated steps with LFO on top. Male vocals act like a reverberating stab until interrupted by the pleading of a softer woman counterpart. The fourth track, “Trying To Say,” is the most surreal effort on the release with high pitched tremolo sci-fi drones, crunchy rhythmic sounds, and a subby kick that trods through the head space. Finally, Nylon Trax’s own Jaymz Nylon revisits “Walking In The Rain,” tastefully adding a horn to the forefront and a soft, deep spoken vocal looped into whispers for his typically evocative treatment.

Q-Burns Abstract Message - “This EP is fantastic … very expressive sounds here. ‘Trying To Say’ is the gem of the bunch for me … it’s one of those tracks that shouldn’t really work, but it totally does.”
Satoshi Fumi - “‘Walking In The Rain’ … atmospheric!”
Alexi Delano - “Very nice!”
Henri Kohn (Conya / Clubstar) - “Sir Jaymz Nylon does his magic on the remix … nice!”
Claudio Coccoluto - “Great music!”
Thomas Pudell (Black Alley) - “Four cuts of great deep, soulful bliss with label honcho Jaymz Nylon taking his version into Kerri Chandler territory … nice!”
Lorenzo al Dino (7th District) - “Perfect package of mixes!”
Werner Niedermeier (WiN Recordings) - “Brilliant soulful release. Originals and remix likewise. ‘We Can Talk’ is killing it!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Nice vibes right across the release here. ‘Walking In The Rain’ is the pick here, really sultry grooves … plus ‘Trying To Say’ also very smart!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “‘Midnight Drive’ … such an atmosphere. Fantastic work!”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) - “Stunning grooves!”
Jeannie Hopper (Liquid Sound Lounge) - “What a unique journey.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House) - “What a luxurious remix by Jaymz Nylon … deep, melodious, and sexy … infectious.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “One of the most impressive releases of the year … outstanding!”

Available now from Beatport.