Mojo Rising - Moving Forward (Cold Busted)

Moving Forward, the latest album from Los Angeles DJ / producer Mojo Rising, also pleasantly looks to the recent past just a bit … harking back to the heyday of downtempo music as heard on fabled imprints like Mo'Wax, Pork, and Cup Of Tea. The Cold Busted label, today's premier ambassador of smoked-out funky grooves, has given Mojo Rising the platform to release this outstanding set of fourteen tracks, each presenting a vibe at times spacey, sometimes hazy, and always downright funky. Moving Forward is an album of highlights, such as the lush and emotive breakbeat-fueled title track, the heavy boom-bap swing of "Jazzy Vapors", and the digital future funk of "MindFAQ". Special guests provide cool collaboration, including Little Planet, World View, Alex Hudish, and fellow Cold Busted artist Jenova 7. Throughout the sound is distinctive and fleshed-out, expertly mixing these dusty beats with modern production techniques. It becomes clear that if, at first, the cuts seem a throwback to downtempo's prime, Mojo Rising indeed updates the genre, Moving Forward towards a funky rhythm resurgence.

Kid Loco - "Great stuff and strong beats."
Mark Farina - "Good stuff!"
All Good Funk Alliance - "Digging 'Jazzy Vapors' … nice jam."
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp) - "Top notch release … all winners."
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - "Lovely head travel …"
Danny Massure (Spring Strut / Ticklejunk) - "Super tasty! Funky and dreamy downtempo, perfect for summer."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "Really lovely stuff here."
Hippie Torrales - "Great release … some real nice tunes."
Scrimshire (Wah Wah 45s) - "I'm really enjoying this … will be playing 'In The Pocket' for a bit."
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - "Funky stuff right here!"
Belmar Sol - "Ridiculous jazzy downtempo flavor. Mojo Rising has really killed it on this second LP!"
Morphosis (The Hong Kong Ping Pong Club) - "Straight-up good vibes throughout … I love the dirty funk of 'MindFAQ'."
Jamie Topham (CDPool) - "Some cool, twisted vibes going on … electro funk to jazz fusion and beyond."
DJ Tomas (ForwardEver) - "These beats positively snap! Just the right touch of Mo' Wax / Cup O Tea vibes, and up-to-date beatsmanship."

Available now from The Cold Busted Bandcamp Shop, Beatport, and iTunes.

Dé Antonio and Dorian - Speak to Your Soul (Harmonious Discord)

Harmonious Discord artist Brad Dale is a master of many trades and purveyor of a ménage of styles and vibes. His projects span glitched-out techno tracks as Molecule, his indie-style folk work as member of the band Ishi, subversive and deep sound design under his eclectic moniker Echo Conscious, and, most recently, his collaboration with vocalists to create a fun, stylistic throwback sound which he produces under the alias Dorian. Recently Dorian has been teaming up with area singers to create a mixture of dance techniques with elevated vocal pairings. In this single he partners with vocalist De’ Antonio to reveal "Speak To Your Soul", a solid house music cut tailor-made for the dance floor.

The Can You Hear Me Mix is a tech house standard where the vocal presence drives the piece. De’ Antonio can be heard elaborating on the ever-catchy chorus line. All of this is backed by the type of intricate production styling that Brad is known for. The Moving Deep Within Mix drives a later-night approach with techno-tinged beat production and more pronounced synth work. It's perfect for trippy after hours shenanigans. Another Harmonious Discord fixture returns to give a drummy rework that sits right in between the two originals. Jeff Haviland AKA Vital crafts a balanced and progressive rework allowing the elements to build and accent in a more traditional fashion. These three versions combine to create a diverse house music single suitable for many nightclub situations … and one can expect to hear more from Dorian over the coming months.

Nick Warren - "A very cool mix here from Vital."
Justin Harris (Music For Freaks) - "I love this release."
Larry Tee - "Hot one!"
Lupe Fuentes (Inhouse Records) - "Nice vibe."
Nick Holder - "Dope."
DJ Craig C (Pound Boys) - "I'm feeling that Vital mix!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Some great vibes right here! All three offer something ace up, but the Vital remix is superb … it's very Berlin-esque, but without sounding like it's just trying to be Berlin-esque."
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) - "A cool mix of sonic options. The Vital remix is good."
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - "I love the Can You Hear Me mix."
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - "The Moving Deep Within mix is a champ!"
DJ Zach (Subtronic End Radio Show) - "Nice grooves … a versatile pack. The Vital remix comes on with a primal feel."
Corbin Dooley (Electric Feel Radio Show) - "Groovy tracks ready for the thick of summer."

Available now from Beatport.

Sonz of the Pitch - Samba Anna EP (Patsada Records)

Sonz of the Pitch are a funky Belgian house music duo made up of Phil Nobel and Ricardo Martins. With previous releases including their well-received debut on Patsada and the Welcome Home EP for Gourmand Recordings, the pair look to light up DJ booths and dance floors across Europe and beyond. This new single for Patsada Records -- the Samba Anna EP -- features three choice, percussive cuts that feature an abundance of punch and club-driving grooves. "Samba Anna" opens the single with a playful chant over a solid rhythmic base … drum fills and a latin touch help make this one a treat for the dancers. It's accompanied by a 'dub' version that gives the crisp, banging rhythm section some close attention. This one's a perfect late night groove ready to accelerate a party into overdrive. "After The Dance" closes out the release, bringing on a slightly darker vibe but not without a bit of swing and a formidable after-hours slink. Its flow is hypnotic and certainly infectious. The Sonz of the Pitch come correct.

Lenny Fontana - "Great latin dub style."
Onionz - "That 'Samba Ana' dub is on point."
Jason Hodges - "'Samba Ana' is a serious tune."
Lupe Fuentes (Inhouse Records) - "I'm really feeling the 'Samba Ana' dub."
Joeski - "Nice!"
Inland Knights - "Liking the dub … a proper DJ tool."
Nick Jagger - "Nice quirky elements … fun."
Moodymanc (20/20 Vision) - "I love these!"
Doc Link - "Hot! I will be supporting this."
Andrew Macari (Greenhouse / Tastie) - "Really solid summer vibes."
DJ Craig C (Pound Boys) - "This dub is really lettin' me have it!"
Robert Owens - "Cool tracks."
Diz (Iz & Diz / Vizual) - "Hotness!"
Ant Plate (Rhythm Plate / YSE) - "I'm liking the quirkiness of the original mix."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "'After The Dance' is ace … a really solid underground heads-down vibe."
DJ Di Costa (MoodyLushious Influences) - "I'm digging the banging tribal drums of 'Samba Anna'."
Sam Hopkins (AccuRadio, Chicago) - "I love 'Samba Anna' -- killer track -- and the dub is a ton of fun."
DJ Jazzy L (Jazzy Lounge Radio) - "This is great … a mix of electronics, house, and samba. I love it."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Mozak - Deep Underground (Transport Recordings)

San Francisco deep house label Transport Recordings reaches Deep Underground for a club-primed nine track debut album from enigmatic producer Mozak. Previous well-received singles and remixes for Transport over the past year have only hinted at what Mozak delivers with Deep Underground … it's a thrilling selection of brand new house music cuts heavily inspired by '90s sounds and vibes, but masterfully updated for contemporary floors. With production assistance from Transport founder DJ MFR, Deep Underground thrusts Mozak onto the scene as a necessary addition to a DJ's nightclub arsenal. From the punchy melodic build of "Your Life" to the nu-disco bounce of "Disco Love" through to the classic-sounding after-hours appeal of the album's title track, Mozak touches on more than a few house music flavors. But they are all bound by a deliberate underground sensibility and a focused mission to make bodies dance. Dive in deep … Deep Underground.

Gene Farris - "Good stuff!"
Hippie Torrales - "Nice, funky grooves."
Jask - "Cool selections."
Glenn Underground - "Nice and smooth."
Nick Holder - "Dope!"
Robert Owens - "Nice tracks."
Grant Nelson - "I'm feeling it."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Some gems on here … really well crafted and (most importantly!) authentic sounding '90s-based house."
Christian Hornbostel - "Great tracks … full support."
Andrew Macari (Greenhouse / Tastie) - "A great deep house album … I'm loving it."
Booker T. (Kings Of Soul / Liquid Sessions) - "Nice deep vibes … will support."
Norbert Borchers (House Sound of Hamburg) - "Fantastic … many tracks here are huge!"
Russell Deeks (This Is Why We Dance) - "Some great house sounds here."
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "A wicked old school-inspired album sure to send the floor into a frenzy."
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA) - "You can get immersed in awesome sounds like these … enchanting beats and rhythms that hit the spot."

Available now from Traxsource, Beatport, and iTunes.