Drive - Dance To The Beat (Discobox Records)

The London-via-Switzerland producer by the name of Drive is the talent behind this latest release on Discobox Records … it's a feel-good throwback tune by the name of "Dance To The Beat". With Prince and Chic noted as major influences, and a past performing and DJ'ing in hip hop bands, Drive knows a thing or two about laying down the funk in a dance floor fashion. "Dance To The Beat" features Drive's live guitar, some boogie-inspiring vocals, and a solid, organic deep house rhythm all mixed together in a sleek production that recalls some of the best moments in late '80s dance music.

Rotciv (Mister Mistery, Luv Shack) is another multi-national producer -- this time Berlin-via-Brazil -- and he's on hand to deliver the first remix of "Dance To The Beat". He switches out the vocals, drums, and bass line for a blindingly effective late night club rocker. It's always party time at Rotciv's house, no question about that. Rounding out the package is Discobox's resident duo Shake Machine who construct a slinky concoction, only retaining the original vocal … though even that gets twisted a tad. Staccato synth pads, groovy rhythms, and a filtered bass line take this one directly into the space disco. These beats are tailor-made for dancing.

Opolopo - "Feeling the Rotciv remix!"
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "Great sound!"
Hard Ton (Gigolo / Permanent Vacation) - "The Rotciv remx is the one for me … so good."
Thee Cool Cats (Cuff / Get Physical) - "That Shake Machine remix is cool."
Erik Rug - The Rotciv remix is my pick here."
Generic People (Cut For Life Records) - "We are definitely gonna keep this in the bag for the summer … nice!"
Vanilla Ace - "The Rotciv remix is cool."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Excellent beats … all three are top class, but the percussion and stabby play on Shake Machine's remix just stood out for me."
The Reflex (G.A.M.M. / Basic Fingers) - "The Rotciv remix rocks."
DJ Humus (SweatLodge / Dirt Crew) - "Now that's some funk … can't wait to play out at a party."
Johnny Luv (Across The Board Radio Show) - "Echoes of early house music … supporting."
Paul Sawyer (EJ Underground / Krafted) - "A great fusion of disco and deep house."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

The Disclosure Project - Radiosonde (Disclosure Project Recordings)

UK deep house duo The Disclosure Project have unveiled their latest album which has the atmospherically-inclined title Radiosonde. Released on their own Disclosure Project Recordings label, the album features ten lovingly crafted songs that draw upon the pair's shared influences across jazz, funk, ambient, downtempo, and -- of course -- deep house. Acclaimed releases for the likes of OneThirty, Dutchie, Plastic City, and Night Drive over the past decade have shown the breadth of Disclosure Project's range, but this prolific output still does not prepare the listener for the lovely, diverse sounds spread throughout Radiosonde. The tunes are supported by a solid groove whilst keeping melody and harmony at the center stage of the production, making for a cerebral yet moving sonic experience. Highlights such as "Antumbra" and the title cut show off The Disclosure Project's affinity for lush, US-influenced deep house vibes while stunning downtempo efforts like "Ahead Of The Curve" and the particularly chill "Barnard's Merope" expose the duo's knack for gorgeous musicality. Throughout touches of The Disclosure Project's jazz and cinematic influences are apparent, helping to create an album that is a cut above the rest. Radiosonde is a beautiful and classy journey into modern electronic music … an excursion not to be missed.

Jask - "Smooth grooves!"
Glenn Underground - "'Antumbra' is dope … I can work this on a crowd."
Mark Farina - Nice tracks."
Graeme Park - "Delicious."
Nadja Lind (Klartraum / Lucidflow) - "Just wonderful, wonderful, wonderful …deep vibes!"
Tom Lown (Lucky Sun Recordings) - "Lush from the start to the very end. Every track is stunning. Great musicianship and production. This is my kind of music."
Nick Holder - "Dope!"
Vanilla Ace - "Really nicely constructed tunes here."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "Just utter musical joy here. I've been always a fan of The Disclosure Project and this album sounds very special, even by their standards."
Diz (Iz & Diz / Vizual) - "Wondrous."
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music) - "Lush atmospheric sound and quality production on all tracks … superb release!"
Czarina Mirani (5 Magazine) - "This is absolutely sublime!"
Joshua Jacobs (Music You Need) - "Deep and minimal sounds layer perfectly to give us a full-bodied house tune collection that is both eclectic and modern. Love this release from The Disclosure Project."
Jean Jérome (Radio FG / Kut 'N' Paste) - "What a fantastic voyage! This album is just splendid."
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "Deep, smooth, melodious, tantalizing … simply amazing."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Hawke - Cantamon (Whiskey Pickle)

Gavin Hardkiss returns to the Whiskey Pickle fold and dons his fabled solo guise -- Hawke -- for a double header treat of balearic house workouts, with remixes from Steve Cobby (Fila Brazillia) and Walter Jones (DFA, Permanent Vacation).

"Cantamon" is an extended jam that incorporates chirpy percussion, lush strings, and a live bass groove … top that off with some dubby female vocals and you have a serious winner. Steve Cobby steps up to lay down a whopping ten minute, acid-tribal groove of heaviness with his version of the track, and its something that certainly should not be taken lightly.

Flip it over and we have “Baltimore Boston Express”, a hypnotic groover that bears the obvious hallmarks and quirks of a Hardkiss brother. Its choppy vocal samples and vintage arpeggios create a deep groove that is ominous and relentless. Wrapping things up another luminary returns to Whiskey Pickle: Walter Jones. His I-95 Remix features a thundering bottom end and boat-loads of swagger.

Nick Warren - "Another great release from the mighty Hawke!"
Flash Atkins (Paper Recordings) - "Yep, digging and these and the good ship Cobby never slips dock."
Anthony Pappa - "Cool EP. Best track for me is 'Baltimore Boston Express'. Awesome tunes."
Bill Brewster (DJ History) - "I like both versions of 'Cantamon' … very nice."
Rune Lindbæk (Drum Island) - "Steve Cobby's mix is the one for me!"
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "Sunshiney loveliness on both originals and Steve Cobby's mix is really really special, too. I'd be a damn fool if I didn't play these."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "'Baltimore Boston Express' is exactly the type of nagging vibe which gets people on the dance floor moving in harmony. And Walter Jones's steady rolling remix is a touch of class."
Al Mackenzie ((Untitled) / Brassneck) - "Excellent EP."
Mac-k-cee (Loco Records / Neurotraxx) - "The Walter Jones remix of 'Baltimore Boston Express' is awesome … will play for sure."
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings / MyHouseYourHouse) - "Groovy and eclectic. 'Feeling Baltimore Boston Express' … thick ass funk."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "This is so cool … totally different and has a twisted groove and vibe to it."
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - "'Cantamon' is a stellar tune, full of summer effects, breeze, and deep Balearic vibe … another delight from Whiskey Pickle."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Blue Soul - Deeper Inside (Roam Recordings)

Scott Boutin aka Blue Soul returns to San Francisco's Roam Recordings with a diverse EP that shows his talent for creating timeless dance music. Great beats, stylish synths, and dreamy soundscapes adorn this release throughout. The title track, "Deeper Inside", is a banging blend of acid and dub elements combined in a way that takes two classic styles and refreshingly makes them new again. "The Wiggle" follows as a sweet, summery downtempo track with whimsical melodies making up a jingle-like feel that could be used to sell you just about anything under the sun. Breakbeat drums cut through and the bass delivers a dynamic funk feel. "1980 Something" is an unassumingly euphoric acid tune with a nod to the sounds of '80s electro, combined in a classic way that would not sound out of place as an underground anthem to some of the more tasteful festivals taking over the music landscape these days. As a special bonus, the Sleight of Hands duo of Phil Collis and DJ M3 bring their different backgrounds to the foreground on this release with their remix of "Deeper Inside." Classical elements provide drama while UK bass breakdowns give it a dance floor edge while space age synth explorations reveal something more rave ready. An exceptional release with many distinct flavors … and fortunately for wax lovers, Roam Recordings will also be issuing this one on 12" vinyl.

Hollis P Monroe - "There is so much to like about these originals … unique and well-done. Great release."
Vanilla Ace - "Cool sounds all round here."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "A really nice warm stash of tunes here … I'm liking all of them."
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - "The title track is cool but I think '1980 Something' is my favorite. Blame the 303."
ALTZ (Altzmusica / DFA) - "I love this deep acid sh%t!"
ROBOT84 (Paper Recordings) - "Brilliant release. Some quality tunes on here. The Sleight of Hands remix is the cut for me, but '1980 Something' is pretty special."
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "Some pretty fun tracks here."
Belabouche (Midnight Riot / DiscoDat) - "Wicked stuff!"
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Great EP … Sleight Of Hands drop a wicked remix, while the originals are class, '1980 Something' in particular. Top!"
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone Records) - "I love 'Deeper Inside' … I will play this out right away."
Scheibosan (Shanti Roots) - "I'm liking 'The Wiggle' … good groove."
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA music blog) - "'Deeper Inside' is a slice of techy breaks magic … in fact, every track on this EP is sheer class."
Galen (Pacificsound / Dirtybird) - "Blue Soul rules! Quality goodness every time."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.