audioJazz - Summer City Nights / My House (audioJazz Music)

Jazz-influenced harmonics and tech-inspired roots mix to create the distinct and eclectic sounds of audioJazz. DJ Bai-ee and musicians Dirty Turk and K Koltz collaborate to create imaginative music inspired by the house scenes of NYC and Chicago. The audioJazz sound is deeply rooted in house music’s past but feels like something soon to come, ‘future old school’ if you will. The trio has ties to New York and Oakland but came together in Chicago, bringing each of their pronounced influences to the group. The result is an exploratory selection of deep house with an inclusive attitude, often featuring vocalists and musicians from across the country.

Following up the more raw live tracked studio recordings of the '7 Inch Music Sessions', audioJazz provides a deep refresher with “Summer City Nights” and “My House”, newly prepped for vinyl release. "Summer City Nights" features the iconic voice of Yvonne Gage calling out for the return of summer nights after a long Chicago winter. Upbeat and hard-hitting, smooth soft pads, classic piano stabs, and a spongy bass line make for a '90s Windy City appeal. Starting off much softer, "My House" makes use of busy drums to propel the track forward before building into a swirl of psychedelic synths. audioJazz’s Dirty Turk steps in the booth to let everyone know whose house this is over a Juno bass that rides the line between deep and driving.

Mr.V (Sole Channel Music NYC) - "Nice pack of tunes."
Karizma (Basement Boys / Defected) - "I love 'My House'!"
Willie Graff (Willie Graff & Tuccillo / Freerange) - "Lovely feelings from these tracks."
Hollis P Monroe (Renaissance Infinity) - "'My House' is dope!"
Claudio Coccoluto - "Such a great sound."
Hippie Torrales - "'Summer City Nights' is a really nice tune."
Tyree Cooper - "I love audioJazz … keep it up, fellas!"
Jask - "Very cool."
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Trax) - "A perfect ride …"
DJ MFR (Transport Recordings) - "Great release!"
Diz (Iz & Diz / Vizual Recordings) - "Nice all around!"
Vincent Kwok - "Great, breezy tunes!"
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - "Funky bounce to this … nice loose percussion gives the beat a great feel. It's working my feet."
Oscar McMillan - "Both tracks are absolutely stunning and absorbing. Dance floor magnets -- even further, dance floor magic."
Alan Powell (The Midnight Mix on Solar Radio) - "Both tracks have a very underground feel which I love, and it's fab to hear Yvonne Gage again."
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "Truly glamorous old school-infused jazz-ilicious deepness."
Aja Allsop (Ketch-A-Vibe Radio Show) - "Grinding beats and a stunning vocal from Ms Gage."
DJ Deelay (Underground Sessions Radio Show, UK) - "Just what I needed! Some deep business flows … I love both tracks. The combination of tight drums, key stabs, and the vocal create moody deepness."
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "West coast deep house meets the east side's soulful sound via the house capital of Chicago. Five stars, no less, for this release."

Available on vinyl now from Juno Records, Gramaphone Records, and Red Eye Records.

Steve Arrington - Without Your Love (Tummy Touch)

Lately, after dropping off of the funk music map to answer a higher-higher calling, Steve Arrington has been revisiting his younger self, twenty plus years more mature. In his 20s he was a part of the '70s funk group Slave before branching off on his own. He had many hit singles in both capacities that would go on to be sampled by the top players in hip-hop (just check the credits on tracks by A Tribe Called Quest, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, N.W.A, etc). This isn't to say he isn't focused on his present self, having worked with Dâm-Funk for Stones Throw recently. It's very much a conversation -- one that the Tummy Touch label is helping to facilitate.

Tummy Touch have put together a platform to release Steve Arrington's single “Without Your Love", as part of their upcoming collection Way Out 80 - 84. The song was started in 1982, but was put in the can and never finished or released. This year it was pulled out of the abyss and finally finished and mixed down. A sweet dub companion from Tim "Love” Lee is included which those graduated from the nu school of disco should flip out over. Also featured is another of Steve's tracks remixed by Opolopo (Tokyo Dawn / Local Talk) with modern 'umph,' done up totally '80s style.

"Without Your Love" lets listeners know right from the start that Steve's still "got that vibe" and is "keeping it funky," picking up right where he left off. Lyrically, there's no doubt it's an uplifting tune and musically it's as heavy with funk as ever. A bass guitar rattles off with smooth licks on top and there's plenty of hand percussion adding to the lively feel of the groove. There's an instrumental included for those with alternative motives.

Further adding to the choices, Tim "Love" Lee provides a dub sure to dovetail booties right for the dance floor. His version is everything anybody would ever want in a dub, extending it out spaciously into ten glorious minutes. It's not tough to imagine the field day a veteran DJ would have teasing it out with hands glued to the isolators. The plentiful and ever diverse Opolopo introduces a remix of “Nobody Else But You", another Steve Arrington gem. The vocals are the party favorite, delivered enthusiastically and sure to inspire a crowd to sing along, while Opolopo's production will bring out the best in step-then-clap boogie moves. In true G-funk fashion, the synths sound burnt out, squealing as they spin up a cloud of smoke. The sliding bass is rubbery as hell and the rhythmic guitar struts its stuff over top.

Tensnake - “Funky EP … I like the ’Nobody Else But You’ Opolopo Remix.”
Peter Kruder (Kruder & Dorfmeister) - “Great to hear Steve Arrington’s voice again … cool versions by the gents on the controls.”
Robbie Hardkiss - “I love Opolopo’s remix!”
Kraak & Smaak - “Cool … I love the dope Dub version of 'Without Your Love'.”
Chris Todd (Crazy P / Hot Toddy) - “Just pure quality! It's Steve Arrington ... say no more.”
X-Press 2 - “Ace … love it!”
Alex From Tokyo (Tokyo Black Star) - "All tracks are ace! This is such a great project."
PBR Streetgang - “Yes, the Opolopo remix is great stuff!”
Sleazy McQueen - “Amazing additions right here!”
Nacho Marco (Loudeast) - “Opolopo’s remix of ‘Nobody Else But You’ is superb!”
Chateau Flight (Versatile Records) - “I love Steve Arrington … the Dub bersion is insane!”
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - “I'm torn between the Dub and the Opolopo remix for a favorite. I'm a sucker for the dub, but the remix feels so right.”
Evan Iff (Large / Dirt Crew) - “Opolopo’s remix is friggin’ great!”
Jarle Bråthen (Full Pupp) - “Great stuff … full support from Norway!”
Jamie Topham (CDPool) - “Despite the fact that Mr. Steve Arrington is one of my musical heroes, Tummy Touch have definitely pulled out an absolute nugget of a release here!”
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp Music Radio Show, Germany) - “Very nice one ...12" mix of ‘Without Your Love’ is my choice.”
Simon Hodge (BBC 6 Music) - “Funky in just the right way!”

Now available from Juno Download and iTunes.

Various Artists - 10 Years of Chillin Music (Chillin Music)

As things warm up, and can't seem to get any hotter, one may be curious about a mysterious cool breeze that's suddenly, refreshingly flowing through the air. To many this may be a surprise, but to the Chillin Music label who -- by no coincidence -- are celebrating their ten year anniversary, it was something they knew all along when they took the temperature of the dance climate and declared: "let there be chill." They have the science of keeping it cool down pat and over their decade of releasing quality house music they've worked with some truly heavyweight artists. Until now, they hadn't re-released any tracks or put together a compilation, but on this special occasion they present their first collection -- 10 Years of Chillin Music. This new report, featuring some exclusive, unreleased tracks, looks to be just as equally refreshing to the dance community.

Among the highlights, label head Rob Slac gets the remix treatment from Birmingham's Chris James (OFF, Get Physical) of Purple Velvet and Coat of Arms fame. Chris goes to work on "Shake & Freak," applying his familiar signature sound with delayed and reverberating rim shots, claps, and metallic bells scattered about over deep, icey pads and a punchy, full bass line. Germany's Marc Faenger, a Minus family member, takes a dubby, minimal techno knife to Mass Digital's "2 Hearts 2 Souls" which he partitions off into sections of varying structure. Pezzner is a Seattle artist with a reputation that precedes him, known for taking listeners through figurative landscapes he's released on labels like Freerange and Crosstown Rebels. On his remix of "Trains Over Broadway" by Whiskey Disco owner Sleazy McQueen, Pezzner entertains listeners in a disco jungle with guitar strings plucked like vines by a canopy of chattering animals and the rumble of tightly skinned drums. Things get a bit more tech on tracks like Dirt Crew's smooth remix of "Again" by Pablo Boilvar and the bigger, harder efforts of Daypack Solo's remix of Sasse's "City Lights" and Ardalan's (Dirtybird) original production "The Sea."

Danny Howells - “Awesome package … classic Pezzner remix, too.”
Tensnake - “I like the Dirt Crew remix.”
Audiojack - “Nice remixes … Pezzner's is my pick!”
Tyree Cooper - “I'm feelin’ 'City Lights' it will most definitely work over here.”
Matthias Vogt (Motorcitysoul) - “I’m in love with Pezzner’s magic Native Language Rework.”
Da Funk - “The Pezzner and Dirt Crew remixes are the ones for me for me … very nice!”
Shur-i-kan - “It's all about Ardalan's 'The Sea'.”
Evan Iff (Large Music / Dirt Crew) - “Congrats on ten years … I have a quite a few Chillin tracks in my library. The Pezzner and Dirt Crew remixes are the ones for me here."
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings / Balance Alliance) - “Congrats on ten years to the Chillin Music crew! This is lovely stuff as ever … I'll be playing some of these.”
Craig Stewart (Montana & Stewart / DCSTrax) - “Dirt Crew and Pezzner remix mixes are very, very tasty. Great work and congratulations on ten years … wow!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Superb stuff right here. Each cut offers something brilliant for the dance floors, so it's tough to pick a favorite, but Dirt Crew turn in a sensationally deep vibe here. Wicked slow-ish grooves.”
Bruce Tantum (Lowlife) - “Tons of great cuts here, splitting the difference between deep 'n' spacey and pumpin' 'n' jacking! Really good stuff … I'm digging all of these tunes a lot.”
SimonG (Deep South Audio, New Zealand) - “Not dropping a beat … this comp just hums. Congrats on the ten years and the great work this label has brought to the table.”
Joshua Jacobs (Music You Need blog) - “Super deep and chilled out vibes that are great for end of the summer grooving.”
Myxzlplix (Subdivisions Global Radio Show) - “This is one stellar collection of deep house no one should miss. No fillers here, all tracks stand tall on their own. Chillin is a label to be reckoned with for sure.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “One of the best East Coast underground labels for years. It's really great to celebrate the ten year anniversary with Chillin Music and this compilation.”

Available now from Beatport.

Eddie Shinn - The Plastic Jam (Cold Busted)

The go-to label for funky downtempo bliss, Cold Busted, uses their platform once again to release music from a mysterious artist in a distant locale. Returning with The Plastic Jam, his third album on the label, Eddie Shinn is a 20 year old producer from Ulyanovsk, Russia and that's all we really know about the artist - besides the fact that he can turn out some dope cuts. The new album comes with some choice collaborations with the likes of fellow Cold Busted artist mister T. and Quincy Jointz, a German nu-funk machine.

Highlights abound on The Plastic Jam. Kicking things off with a countdown to a broken beat barrage on "Get Down", the funky organs and rhythmic guitars are in full effect from the start. Opening a "Box of Happiness" next, the hand percussion and horns on this track make this jam cypher arena ready. However, questions arise as to why Eddie Shinn and Quincy Jointz would title a track "Boring". It doesn't make much sense until the tongue-in-cheek humor of the vocal sample comes in mocking anybody who would want the party to stop as 'bor-ing!' It features a laid-back vibe for certain, but there's more than enough action that, were the listener to blink, they might miss a step. Finally, the "Bad Man" collaboration with mister T. really lets the bass guitar loose as one would expect with a descriptor like 'bad' … it's got the type of low end that makes fellas make a face and ladies shake their waist. "Witch Doctor" and "Is More Than Ready" just prove that there's more funkiness than one can shake a stick at when dealing with Eddie Shinn and Cold Busted.

Mark Farina - “I dig it!”
DJ Moneyshot (Solid Steel Radio / NinjaTune) - “Very strong nodders - should come with a free neck brace - and very positive to see beat-makers on the downtempo tip.”
tOtALcULt (Cult Music) - “Superb … a real touch of funky class!”
Danny Ward (Dubble D / Moodymanc) - “I like ‘Boring’, Eddie Shinn's collaboration with Quincy Jointz.”
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp) - “All killer tunes. Funky downbeats at their best.”
Renegades Of Jazz (Agogo Records) - “Fresh, funkin' downtempo gems … I will spin them a lot. ‘Get Down’ and ‘Box Of Happiness’ are my favorites.”
Mojo Rising (Cold Busted / F.A.M.I.L.Y.) - “'Boring' is anything but with a sublime bossa rhythm that ramps up into a heavier beat. Diggin' the whole release …”
Marc Lacasse (sHIFT Radio / Urbnet) - “A collection of slick beats and cool soul joints all in one.”
Robin Parris (Parris & Vanucci / Dancefloor Outlaws) - “Funky and phat … ‘Get Down’, ‘Box Of Happiness’, and ‘Is More Than Ready’ will get spins from me!”
Bill Brewster (DJHistory.com) - “‘Get Down’ is outstanding.”
DJ Kid Stretch (Warriorz Records / Goodgroove) - “Groovy and funky … nice one!”
xyddhartha (Digital Gathering Radio Show, New Delhi) - “It can't get any better!”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “There will be no excuse for nu-funk lovers to not like this … more dope, heavy funk hip-hop-don’t-stop dusted grooves by Eddie Shinn.”
Andy Wilson (Ibiza Sonica FM) - “‘Bad Man’ is nice and funky … some good head-nodders here.”
Niksa Dragolin (Eurostar Radio, Croatia) - "Reminds me of some Beastie Boys tunes … so great, a very cool release."
DJ Russo (Analog Space / Higher Sound) “Rare that every track on an EP is killer … this is one case.”

Available now from Beatport and The Cold Busted Shop.