Next Of Kin - Everything (Uniting Souls Music)

Seattle label Uniting Souls Music reaches across the pond and grabs London’s Next Of Kin for “Everything”, a deep bass-house workout that’s sure to inspire some peak time floor action. A veteran producer under various aliases – previously holding down a radio show on Ministry of Sound – Next Of Kin has bounded forth under this latest nom-de-plume with top notch releases for Deep City Sound and Modern Revival alongside the likes of Doc Link, Demarkus Lewis, and Fred Everything. “Everything” masterfully meshes influences from deep and tech house as well as the late ’90s sound of UK garage to transmit a groovy late night roller. Vocal snippets deliver the catchy hook of the song’s title while a punchy, dominating bass line and cool spacey pads keep the rhythm deliriously flowing. Pete Moss, a welcome recurring remixer for Uniting Souls, accents the main track with a version that expands on the lush vibe, featuring swelling synths and the vocal hits given a subtle, slightly ominous treatment. Seattle’s Jon Lee (Viva Recordings, NAM Recordings) is also on hand, providing a deep and moody remix of “Everything” that ebbs and flows with dynamic breakdowns and ringing musical passages. Along with Pete Moss’s version, this mix gives a distinct view of the main track, completing a package that works for a variety of after-hours DJ situations. Uniting Souls in effect!

Hector Romero (SAW Recordings / Def Mix) – “Pete Moss does this remix right. Love the deep groove.”
Mr. V (Sole Channel Music) – “Original Mix for me.”
Nick Warren (The Soundgarden) – “Both remixes are very good.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “Superb EP!”
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse) – “Solid house that keeps it soulful while still adding a lot of tech elements.”
Murray Richardson (Electrica Salsa) – “Lovely deepness from Pete, and loving Jon’s mix too. Nice release!”
Lee Jones (Buslife) – “This EP is sublime. I love all three mixes.”
Tokita (Heavy / Viva Recordings) – “Jon Lee remix for the win! All around great EP.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “3 stunning mixes … pure quality.”
DJ Di Costa (Bilanez Music) – “Really hard to say which one of the three versions is the best one since they are so addictive and hypnotizing in their own way. Full support on this outstanding release!”

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

Jeromy Nail - Amphibians (Uniting Souls Music)

Uniting Souls Music returns for the imprint's twenty third release with "Amphibians" by longtime Seattleite and Uniting Souls resident Jeromy Nail.

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 residences 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.

Built around chopped vocals and double-bass samples overlaid with moody pads and melodic elements, the "Amphibians" original mix emits a quirky flavor rooted in a four-on-the-floor foundation. The dub mix re-contextualizes the original elements in a deeper, minimal, bass-laden context that could be taken as ‘micro house.’

First up on remix duties, Philadelphia’s Pete Moss delivers an extended, stripped-down mix of the original that’s sprinkled with the vocal and melodic phrasing and fortified by a tougher bass line. Portland-based Jon Cates, best known for his work with Om Records as part of Cates&dpL, also provides a take on "Amphibians" with a deep, driving tech-house infused version, keeping the energy level high with layered percussion and drum elements, thick bass, and subtle textures that capture the essence of the original but take it down a fresh new path.

Gene Farris - "Deep!"
Chris Fortier (Fade) - "The Pete Moss remix is just right, and the Jon Cates mix is good, too."
DJ Craig C (Pound Boys) - "Good deep stuff here!"
Craig Whitfield (The HHA / Restless Soul) - "I really like the Pete Moss remix. Sounds great up loud with that killer bass line."
Inland Knights - "The original's got a nice swing to it … also digging the Pete Moss remix."
Nutritious (SpinSpinNYC) - "'Amphibians' is excellent. Swimming. The remixes are great, too."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Very nice … the dub and Pete Moss remix shade it for me, but it's a cool package all round."
DJ Nova (Nova Planet Radio Show) - "I love the sound of the dub … it's so trippy and reminds me of '90s house music."
DJ Zach (Subtronic End Radio Show) - "Solid house music. I love the pulsing bass on Jon Cates' mix."
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA) - "Lovely deep sounds to get lost in."
Eric Davenport (Guesthouse) - "Top notch production on all versions. House music at its best."

Available now from Beatport and Traxsource.

Ivaylo - Future Past (The Remixes) (Bogota Records)

Norwegian deep house label Bogota Records considers Ivaylo's Future Past (The Remixes) the end of 'phase one.' The label has issued six fantastic releases, making some serious waves in the house music community with its signature lush, dreamy, rhythmic sound. This seventh issue from Bogota returns to the output of flagship artist Ivaylo, the Bulgaria-born DJ based in Oslo. Future Past (The Remixes) is notable, as the title unintentionally hints, in that it draws upon label tracks from previous releases, giving them new remixed interpretations laying out the direction of the label. An impressive cadre of house music talent from around the world is on board to supply these remixes, making this an essential release.

Let's delve right into it. Dalminjo (Limestone Recordings, Papa Records) offers a sophisticated remix of "Forgotten", featuring pleasant string lines and lovely tuned percussion. Famed Philadelphian Pete Moss (Ovum Records) brings a funky tech-house aesthetic to "Outlands", with a solid bass and drum interplay perfectly tailored for the dance floor. Legendary Chicago house music don Johnny Fiasco (Klassik Fiasco) lays on the heavy swing for his interpretation of "Weight", and takes things well into the deep zone with splashes of chiming pads and a touch of vocoder. Out of Bulgaria comes Ivaylo's mates, the duo Sound Solutions (Adultempo Specialists) who blend swirling arpeggiations and ominous echoed synth stabs into their revision of "Shine". Demarkus Lewis (Grin Music), the tall Texas house music veteran, slaps on some tough rhythms, some 303-ish lines, and a pulsing low end for a particularly beefy version of "Disquis". Last, but certainly not least, Jay Tripwire (Tonality, Poker Flat) provides an evocative, sublimely building remix of "Cellar", featuring clanging percussion, liquidy found sounds, filtered chords, and the hypnotic drum-play he's known for.

Bogota Records knows the past, and repeating quality like this in the future is a foregone conclusion. Stay tuned to hear what other gems the label and Ivaylo have in store …

Doc Martin - "Some cool stuff here!"
Nick Holder - "This EP is fire!"
DJ MFR (Transport Recordings) - "Great tracks … full support from me!"
DJ Tonka (Tonka Tunes / Southern Fried) - "The Dalminjo and Johnny Fiasco mixes for me. True house music!"
Jaymz Nylon - "Dalminjo's remix of 'Forgotten' is actually most memorable."
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - "One of my favorite labels out there. This is a stunning remix album with top notch remixers … it doesn't get better than this."
Sebastian Davidson - "Ten out of ten!"
Craig Stewart (Montana & Stewart / DCSTrax) - "A super collection of dance music. Brilliant."
The Disclosure Project - "A good collection of remixers on this package. Johnny Fiasco's bumpy remix wins for us here."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "A truly astounding package here remixed by six of the very finest producers in house music. I'd be hard pressed to choose a finer dream team right now."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "A strong selection here from a variety of top players. Pete Moss, Johnny Fiasco, and Jay Tripwire all stand out with their interpretations, with Demarkus Lewis also adding a wicked groove on his remix. Solid all round really."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "Filthy and funky. I like the little acid twists in Demarkus Lewis's mix … heavy sound."

Available now from Beatport, Traxsource, and iTunes.

Luke Mandala - Forward (Uniting Souls Music)

Uniting Souls deliver the goods on their new fall offering "Forward", an original single release by Pacific Northwest wunderkind Luke Mandala, featuring a remix by deep house guru Pete Moss. Luke has made serious waves in the past with releases on the likes of Booka Shade Music, Innerflight, Desert Trax, and his own Activated Recordings imprint. His Infinite EP on Addictech Records is particularly renowned, having reached #1 on many charts and remaining one of the more popular releases on that label. His latest release on Uniting Souls adds more fuel to the fire.

Luke's original is cutting-edge, progressive tech house that gradually builds to a crescendo of acid-tinged synths and ethereal strings, peaking, releasing, and dropping back into a menacing bass riff. The vocals are emotively pitched, layered, and chopped before delivering a full release of "motioning you forward." It's a moment well worth the wait. Next, Pete Moss' rework takes a different route with hazy, deep pads that envelop the extended vocals, molding both into a whole body bass line with a smooth, late night vibe. It's a sound which the Philly-based veteran is known to be a master of.

Tensnake - “Nice EP”
Robert Owens - “The Pete Moss dub is a cool track.”
Giom - “This is ace! I love the original mix.”
Daniel Bortz - “Will play for sure.”
Luna City Express (Moon Harbour / Enliven Music) - “I love both mixes of forward!”
Nick Warren (Hope Recordings / Way Out West) - “Lovely mix from Pete Moss.”
Larry Fives (Inland Knights / Drop Music) - “‘Forward’ is a great track … nice and dirty.”
Jay West (Candy Music) - "Right in time for the weekend! Nice stuff."
Distant People (SSRadio / Foliage) - “Cool, subtle vibe on Pete Moss’ dub of ‘Forward.’ The bass is lush … very deep.”
Chris Fortier (Fade / Mindwarp) - “Can't miss with this Pete Moss remix, love it.”
Carlos Sanchez (La Vie En Rose / Supernature) - “Great release! Both are dope.”
Randall Jones (Audio Therapy / Baroque) - “Pete Moss’ remix sounds buttery.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "Beautiful, original sounds on both the original and remix. Full support to a great release on a brilliant label."
Slok (My Favorite Robot / One Records) - “Electro slap bass line … great original mix! Also the remix is very tasty.”
Alexander East (Planet East / SSRadio) - “Love it!”
Strakes (Kahua Music / Lost My Dog Records) - “Pete Moss' dub has a great, deep flow to it.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Fabric) - “Both are really strong here. The original is deep and powerful, while Pete Moss’ more low-down, bassy groove is really excellent … top release all round.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.