Sparkalize - Lucky Charm Remixes (AGN Records)

Sparkalize is a new electro-pop project via singer/songwriter Celeste Kim. Emerging from the Kiss or Kill LA underground rock and roll scene with indie pop-punk band Underwater City People, she returns to her first crush: dance music. Celeste teamed up with producers Nathan Jenkins and Taylor Martyr (Action Go Now) to record her debut, the Party Girl EP. Synth soaked layers, hard hitting beats with a retro touch, and sexy vibes are what quickly defined the sound of Sparkalize.

With this follow-up, Sparkalize bursts back onto the scene with the Lucky Charm Remixes, a collection of reworked club-thumpers that will have party-goers popping off all night long. “Lucky Charm,” the first energetic single off of Sparkalize’s debut EP, has never sounded better as it has been reworked for the clubs with a slamming new Bang-pop™ beat. AGN Records has assembled a solid remix team for this release: A slippery, dark-tech mix from West Coast favorites Anthony Mansfield (Hector Works) and Sneak-E Pete (Blunted Funk), an epic deep house journey from Ed Larez (SOG Records, Fabric), and a filthy electro banger from newcomer Neurologix. With these remixes under her belt and more on the way, Sparkalize has emerged from her unicorn lair to slay all y’all bitches with her rainbow laser beams.

Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “Yeah! Into the Ed Larez mix.”
Inland Knights - “Nice!”
Irregular Disco Workers - “The Anthony Mansfield & Sneak-E Pete remix is really obscure and cool.”
Michael Reinboth (Compost Records) - “A good ’80s feel … nice groovy thang. I also like the Ed Larez remix.”
James Curd (Greenskeepers) - “This is nice!”
Fine Cut Bodies - “The Anthony Mansfield & Sneak-E Pete remix is a nice, lush disco dub.”
Tensnake - “Nice club tracks.”
Marco Fullone (Radio Monte Carlo) - “Great sound! A bit of Prince and a bit of Kraftwerk.”
Rambla Boys - “The Anthony Mansfield and Sneak-E Pete mix, as well as the Ed Larez one, is sexy stuff.”
Rudy Kizer (Hit The Decks Radio Show) - “The Club Mix reminds me of Justice, so I love this.”
Black Alley (In Control Radio Show) - “The Ed Larez Remix is sexy and sleazy … I really like it!”
Milton Welch (Soul Reflector blog) - “The Anthony Mansfield & Sneak-E Pete mix makes Sparkalize sound like a loving homage to Blondie. Ed Larez’s version takes the band’s sound into an entirely different direction. The icy cool of the club mix is infectious, and the upbeat Neurologix mix has the feel of bouncy late 80s radio pop and synths straight out of a Swedish house track. Kinda love this one because each of the remixes is so unique in appeal.”

Available now from Beatport and iTunes.

Colors Sound System - Director's Cut (Lunatic Jazz) →

Sao Paulo scene staple Colors Sound System is quickly evolving from a floor-rocking DJ duo to a more eclectic, risk-taking production team. Comprised of brothers Jota Wagner and Captain Wander, their tracks not only transmit house music feelings but include doses of funk, indie-rock, and Brazillian rhythms. They refer to themselves as “weird house music composers” as their tracks often veer off into psychedelic, swerving directions. This third release from Colors Sound System on their own Lunatic Jazz label, titled Director’s Cut EP, is no exception.

Two original tracks are present, backed by a corresponding pair of wild remixes. “Road Movement" goes the somewhat Balearic route, featuring organic elements, trippy but melodic guitar work, and high doses of "Brazilians’ confused sense of urban beats" (their words). San Francisco beat burglars Anthony Mansfield and Sneak-E Pete (collectively known as Corsican Brothers) provide the remix, sounding like a bass-heavy stroll through darkened city streets. Equal parts slinky and sleazy, this mid-tempo groove fiend switches unexpectedly from a breakbeat bop to a four-on-the-floor cruise.

The B-side cut, “Steampunk Salvador,” introduces seven minutes of scratchy guitar, swirling hints of surreal sound, and a bit of sixties “Tropicália” feel. Exotic percussion and rhythmic bass hits drive the cut as its strange melodies drift in and out like some dance floor dream. Orlando’s Stereo 77 (Research Deluxe / Plimsoll Records) continues his rising trajectory with a flavorful remix that capitalizes on the original’s tasty percussion by adding heavy broken beats and an infectious latin vibe. The bass is booming here, signaling a hipster conga line to form around the edges of the nightclub.

Ashley Beedle - “‘Road Movement’ original mix is a real beauty. Nice and leftfield!”
James Flavour (Dirt Crew) - “Oh, this is so good! I can’t wait to play that out. This release made my day!”
Mixmaster Morris - “Stereo 77 Ricanstruction … chunky funky!”
Chris Todd (Crazy P / Hot Toddy) - “The Corsican Brothers mix is out there! Unique.”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Musically very good, indeed!”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “Yep … the Brazilearic ‘Road Movement’ for me, and also digging the bump of Stereo 77’s take on ‘Steampunk Salvador.’ Sweet!”
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - “Four cool tracks. The Corsican Bros remix is my favorite but all are solid.”
Blair Stafford (Straightup Radio) - “Stereo 77 rocks my world. Can’t touch him for remixes. Great Cumbia … vibe right on!”
Velanche (Urban Landscapes Radio Show) - “Really sublime and excellent originals: leftfield, adventurous, and nails it! The remixes are also pretty uncanny.”
DJ Tomas (Friday Night Session Radio Show, SF) - “The grooves are strong as organic coffee on this EP, great mid-tempo bubblers with superb textures and percussion.”
Gavin Hardkiss (Hawke) - “So f**king good!”

Additional support from Rune Lindbæk, Ray Mang, Sleazy McQueen, Makossa & Megablast, Justin Harris (Freaks), Murray Richardson, Johnwaynes, DJ Harri (Sub Club), Recloose, Hardway Bros, Nacho Marco, and Tim “Love” Lee.

Available from Beatport and Juno Download

Mike DeVellis & Sneak-e Pete - Same Ole' Thang EP (Pockit Records) →

Pockit Records is pleased to announce the release of Same Ole’ Thang EP by artists Michael DeVellis and Sneak-e Pete (Blunted Funk Recs/Pockit Recs). This release comes as somewhat of a relaunch of Pockit Records and is the first of many releases to come this year from the label.

Label founder and artist Michael DeVellis has teamed up with long time friend and collaborator Sneak-e Pete to create a record that has true funkiness written all over it. Mike DeVellis and Sneak-e Pete are known in the electronic music scene as a saxophone/dj duet that have traveled the world dropping thick breaks and funky/disco house. Mike started his career touring with world renowned acts such as Susan Tedeschi, Leo Nocentelli (The Meters), and many others. He started getting into the house and breaks scene in 2000 and began playing his sax with DJs. Along the way he has sat in with Joeski, Onionz, Krafty Kutz, Jon Howard, Alexi Delano, DJ Spun, Charles Feelgood, Randall Jones and others. Eventually Mike met Sneak-e Pete and their styles intertwined seamlessly, thus their long collaboration of performing and producing together began.

“Homey Mango,” produced by Mike DeVellis, features Mike playing sax and keys. This one boasts a quickly moving bass and clavichord line to start things off and get the listener right into the upbeat funk. Huge horn stabs followed by sax and keys solos keep the intensity moving. Watch for the dub break down too!

“Same Ole’ Thang" is produced by Mike DeVellis and Sneak-e Pete. It is a culmination of Pete’s beat making and cutting abilities with Mike’s groove oriented instrumentation on flute and keys.

“Gueva,” produced by Mike DeVellis, is the epitome of Mike’s funky style. Mike can be heard playing keys, trumpet, flute and sax on this track. The keys give the track a Herbie Hancock kind of feel while the brass provides an upbeat organic flavor. The horns move through some intricate lines to arrive at a latin feeling progression towards the middle of the track. Eventually the different melodic lines come together to create a thick groove.

Selected Feedback: 
“This is stunning music, I need a whole album of these sounds to play
 all day long.” – Raymundo Rodriguez, jaded/BWO Records, UK 
“Funkness straight on right here, all three selections do the trick. Worth playing on the radio.” – Kerem Gokman, Dubmission Radio Show 
“Amazing tracks, will definitely play all!” –Chris Rayner, Inhale Radio, UK 
“Herbie Hancock would be very proud.” – Aja, UK Jazz Radio 
“Funky as all hell. Serious grooves ta make ya move.” – Michael Stukes, Dubmaster Production, WHCR 90.3 FM NYC

Available from Beatport / Juno Download / Amazon / 7 Digital / iTunes