Nova Casa - Morning Drops (Karmaloft Music)

Nova Casa joins the Karmaloft Music label with his first release for the eclectic European imprint: Morning Drops. As Nova Casa is equally influenced by genres as diverse as deep house, smooth hip-hop, melancholic soul, and classic piano house, beats per minute is not a constraint in the music making process of this Leipzig, Germany based producer. He’ll craft a tune at any tempo that fits his heartfelt vibes. If the song titles “Morning Drops,” “Jazz Reflections,” and “Dreams" didn’t give it away, this EP is definitely of an ethereal quality. Deep, moody, and highly melodic, the three pieces drift along at a comfortable pace, easily imagined as the soundtracks to beautifully elaborate time-lapses. The warm pads, shimmering pianos, and brooding vocals definitely deliver for DJs looking to not only move, but touch their audiences.

Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “Beautiful … this was much needed today.”
Tom Lown (Savoir Faire / Lost My Dog) - “I like it … very deep, very warm.”
Graeme Park - “Beautiful, lush, and lovely.”
Moliner (Depaart) - “Nice chilled beats.”
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music / SSRadio) - “‘Jazz Reflections’ has a beautiful summer feel to it … perfect for poolside or as a warm up track.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Smooth and laid back … would do a great job for a sunset vibe in Ibiza.”
Myxzlplix (Subdivisions Global Radio) - “Solid, slow burning tracks, perfect for late night or warming things up.”
Jean Jérome (Radio FG) - “In France we say ‘sublime’ for this kind of track! Gives me goosebumps … so much emotion in ‘Morning Drops.’”
Peter Borg (Simply Salacious Dance Party) - “Overall a great package … lovely melodies and a nice pace, too.”
The Orator (High On Beats / Mushpost) - “So buttery smooth.”
Deadbeat Disco Radio Show - “This is a great EP, really showcasing some luscious deep house beats. All three tracks are great warm-up / low-slung cuts. ‘Dreams’ is our favorite, but the whole EP is strong.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “Truly beautiful musical dreamscapes.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.

Marlena Shaw - Woman of the Ghetto (Akshin Alizadeh Remix) (Cold Busted)

Cold Busted has hit the big one-double-0 (that’s one hundred) release mark. How does a label celebrate such a milestone? By going one above today’s current wild wild west landscape of digital sampling and officially licensing a legendary ’60s-era song that’s made its rounds in the golden era of sample based hip-hop. Akshin Alizadeh, the man from Azerbaijan, is the lucky one tapped from the label’s roster to remix Marlena Shaw's “Woman of the Ghetto.”

The producer’s strong funk and nu-jazz influences, as well as his ability to combine funky grooves with punchy hip-hop beats, are on full display once again. Rightfully dramatic orchestral strings give way to bluesy rhythmic wah-wah guitar plucking, slightly cabaret-ish piano, pitch bending keys, and a totally sultry sax. The percussion sounds like signature Alizadeh with a flickering hat pattern, well placed snare rolls, and punchy interplay with the kick. For the DJs needing to spice things up, an instrumental is included. If this achievement is any indication of the new century of releases from Cold Busted then bring on one hundred more!

Mark Farina - “Nice!”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “It’s so nice to hear this song again.”
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp) - “It’s really a big challenge to remix this classic. It’s a really a very good remix.”
Inland Knights - “This is cool … Cold Busted comes correct again.”
Dogu (Ancient Astronauts / Switchstance) - “I love that groove!”
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - “Very well done!”
Michael Reinboth (Compost Records) - “Great … a very smart boogie mix. I will play this for sure.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Trax) - “We all need a lil’ jazziness in our lives … amazing!”
DJ Naz (Buddha Bar) - “Wonderful! Funky, chilled out touches and jazzy notes, lovely bass line … all in all very smooth, sensual and sexy. This is excellent laid back listening.”
René Josquin (m.path.iq) - “Some may say that the original is untouchable. Such a classic. But this remix is done with respect and love, mixing memories with good things upcoming. Big time.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “Chilled vibes. Deep and groovy funk beatz, ready for Las Salinas beach and summer 2014.”
Dado Funky Poetz (Radio Monte Carlo) - “Fantastic sound with a supreme lead vocal. Perfect!”
DJ Derek Jones (Soular Grooves Radio) - “Tight snares, sexy sax, and smooth keys make this one a real work of art. Perfect for hot summer nights.”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) - “A masterpiece!”
Caio Zini (Electro Boogie Encounter) - “Super sexy song.”
Roger Cowell (The Joint Sessions, Barcelona) - “Very nice. I have been playing this song in different versions for 20+ years in my sets, so it’s great to have a fresh take on a classic. Many spins are scheduled for this over the summer.”
MadameFLY (mmRadio / BeatConcious) - “A perfect remix … everybody wins on this one. It’s hypnotic, it’s great, and the instrumental is powerful.”

Available now from Beatport and The Cold Busted Shop

Sean Smith feat. Carla Prather - So Gone (Smooth Agent)

Smooth Agent is proud to present the highly anticipated single “So Gone.” Label head Sean Smith comes correct with vocals from the one and only Carla Prather. Smith’s production highlights include his classic edits, a remix for Brandy’s “Talk About Our Love” on Atlantic Records, and a recent release on Smooth Agent called “The Revival” with Roy Davis Jr. Carla Prather’a voice has been in demand by artists like Jellybean Benitez, Lenny Fontana, and the Mr. A.L.I. project on Nite Life Collective, amongst others.

Together, the singer and producer craft “So Gone” into a soulful vocal mover flavored with latin percussion. Additional classic-sounding piano and synth arrangements are provided by Niles Bess. Carla lays down her exceptional, soulful vocals to lyrics telling a tale of being done with a relationship and ready to move on to a better, brighter day. On remix duties, French dance music legend Greg Gauthier pairs up with fellow Parisian Djoon resident Alex Finkin. Greg and Alex’s mix is another stellar performance with smooth, fluid keys and classic organ arrangements. Next, Denz Daverez, an LA transplant and Amsterdam native, adds contrast to the release with a remix of his own. More heads down in nature, Denz’s Dub Mix is soulful deep house with a distinct electronic edge for a contemporary club sound. Complete with instrumentals, this is a strong package that should not be missed by DJs with a love for real soulful and classic house music.

Todd Edwards - “Love this song and the vocal.”
Graeme Park - “Very good.”
Abicah Soul - “Solid tune … I love all the mixes.”
Hollis P Monroe - “Solid production emulating that soulful ‘90s vibe.“
Tyree Cooper - ”Hot sh#t!“
CJ Mackintosh - ”Loving the Greg Gauthier & Alex Finkin mix!“
Lars Behrenroth (Deeper Shades Of House) - ”All about the original.“
Tedd Patterson (Vibal Recordings / Shelter NY) - ”Great vocal, great production … I’m on it!“
Groove Assassin (Pacha / Cielo) - ”Slammin’ stuff!”
Nick Holder (DNH Records) - “I’m digging this!”
Luka (We Go Deep / Peng) - “Lovely package … class all around.”
Joseph Hines (FOMP / We Go Deep) - “This is hot. Any thing by my man Greg Gauthier is always gonna be quality. Loving all the mixes. Real timeless soulful music.”
Spiritual Blessings (Gotta Keep Faith Records) - “This is an awesome soulful track. Original and instrumental are already 5 out of 5 stars for us, but Greg Gauthier & Alex Finkin made an amazing re-work on it. Wow!”
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - “The Greg Gauthier & Alex Finkin remix is something special: upbeat and funky, with that KILLER organ!”
Alan Powell (The Midnight Mix on Solar Radio) - “My good grief what a tune! Every mix is fabulous, the original has such a beautiful soulful edge that I love. The Greg Gauthier & Alex Finkin mix is slightly more clubby, but still retains its soulful edge with the incredible Carla Prather powerhouse vocal. Love it!”
Marc Lacasse (sHIFT Radio, Canada) - “Just what soulful house should be … lovely vocals and some percussion to move it along nicely.”

Available now from Traxsource and Juno Download.

Val De Mossa & DJ Gotsoul - Deep Water EP (Thai Dust Red)

Eclectic German label Thai Dust Records reserves its ‘(Red)’ sub-label for their deeper, more chill-oriented work. The Deep Water EP is a deep house production through and through. The background of Krystian Shek, AKA DJ Gotsoul, is definitely beats-oriented with his previous releases on Thai Dust (Black) and a recent downtempo album on the Cold Busted label. For those that remember his club-smasher “Acapulco Nude,” Krystian’s new deep house moniker should come as no surprise … it’s just another step forward in showcasing his diverse capabilities. For this release he has teamed up with German Radio Galaxy host and DJ Val De Mossa as well as regular collaborator Surya, an Argentinian vocalist currently based in Spain.

Starting things off, “Pasadena" is a smooth to swallow - and oh so easy to dance to - deep house pill. The song’s bass has a dark edge to it and is complimented by haunting piano notes that are spectral in nature. Surya delivers a brilliant vocal performance, with a moodiness sure to halt any fans of the lovely Bajka in their tracks. A take-no-prisoners remix comes from BDLX, also known as Krystian’s fellow Cold Busted artist Bahia Deluxe. He rounds the low end into something punchier, turning it into a devastating lead. The other two originals on the release, “La Isla Blanca" and "Senses Of The Islands,” employ islander percussion in evocatively melodic progressions, with the latter being cinematic enough to close the eyes to as the imagination travels far. Just like that, Thai Dust (Red) has an EP on its hands capable moving dance floors in dramatic fashion.

Tony Humphries - “Great deep house tracks!”
Jask (Thaisoul / Soulfuric) - “Love it!”
Hippie Torrales - “‘Senses Of The Islands’ for me … nice mid-tempo groove.”
Vincent Kwok - “Great tracks! I’m loving the vocals on ‘Pasadena.’”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “‘Pasadena’ and ‘Sense of the Islands’ are truly lovely. These will get a lot of summer support from me!”
Sarah Favouritizm (Southport Weekender) - “This is lovely … great voice, too!”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “I’m into ‘La Isla Blanca’ .. summer is all over this breezy and driving sound.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Really cool bass-led vibes here … I’m feeling the original ‘Pasadena,’ plus ‘La Isla Blanca,’ the latter being a really cool deep groove with smart keys. Strong EP.”
Igor Marijuan (Ibiza Sonica FM) - “Great stuff.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “Awesome summer vibe on this one!”
Niksa Dragolin (Eurostar Radio, Croatia) - “Hell yeah, this water is really deep! I love ‘Pasadena.’”
Alan Powell (The Midnight Mix on Solar Radio) - “Beautiful selection of deep house grooves with a touch of soul.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - “Deep, sexy and truly mesmerizing.”

Available now from Beatport.