Zona ft. Chellena Black - Jesus Is (Deeplife Records)

Zona, comprised of the L.A.-based duo of Dimitri Craven and Jerry Andrews, combine house, disco, and techno influences with live vocals and instrumentation. Releasing on labels such as 70x7, Kapa, Good For You, and now Deeplife Records, their songs aim to bring feel-good vibes to listeners and dance floors with uplifting messages and funky rhythms. Zona has received high praise from the likes of Jazzie B (Soul II Soul, BBC Radio UK) and recently secured a top 5 Traxsouce single with the song "Time."

Featuring the wonderful vocalist Chellena Black, Zona's new single "Jesus Is" features a joyful gospel-house flavor and a positivity that's universal. The song is also extra special for Dimitri, as it was written during a trying time when he learned to trust in a higher power. The cut features a banging rhythm that touches on the tribal side, along with a pulsing bass line and a churning organ line. Chellena's expressive vocals build on the powerful music, launching the track to another level.

Legendary producer/DJ AJ Mora supplies a remix with a techier drum track while retaining the soulful feel of the original. There's also an AJ Mora Dub version that highlights the remix's warehouse-flavored old-school elements. Ibizian native J.Alba is next up with a deep take filled with spacey arpeggiations and lush synth pads complementing the vocal line and tight rhythm track. Floor-primed and elevated, no doubt.

Snax (Random Records) – “AJ’s Dub Mix is giving big Twilo/Tunnel NYC vibes. Thank you!”
Curtiss Logan (Aqua Sol Recordings) – “This is a great release. Loving it, and fully supporting.”
Niall Redmond (DeepTown Music) – “The AJ Mora Vocal and Extended mix for me. Nice gospel chugger!”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House Web Zine) – “Truly vibrant and uplifting dance floor goodness.”
Darrell Stout (Beatmatrix Show on WRUW 91.1 FM) – “Preach!!!”
Dean Serafini (Frisky Rhythms) – “Love the vocals and deep throbbing groove of the J.Alba Remix.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

ThrillHammer - Heavenly Spheres (Finely Tuned)

After rollicking singles for the likes of Hardkiss Music and Paper Recordings, San Francisco's ThrillHammer — AKA the duo of Duserock and Coltorious — confront the "Music of the Spheres." The tune is based on an ancient philosophical puzzle: why don't the heavenly bodies, such as stars and planets, make sounds as they travel through the sky? Aristotle believed that we hear it as infants, but as adults, we tune it out. How can we listen to the music of the spheres?

Duserock produced the track and handed it over to Coltorious for some of his lyrical flavor. The final song features rousing piano chords, a beefy four-on-the-floor rhythm, and Coltorious's distinctive voice joined by layers of harmonizing overdubs. Steve Cobby (Fila Brazillia) brings the tune into his shed to create a glorious lounge-inspired version with all-new instrumentation. Next up, Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle) offers a dramatically uplifting instrumental re-rub that wouldn't be out of place floating over the Ibizan surf. And then Jason Peters (Roam Recordings) jostles a peak-time warehouse banger from the original, giving "Music of the Spheres" a shot at inspiring heavenly gyrations on the dance floor. Get into these galactic motions!

Rory Hoy (Howlin’ Records) – “The Cobby Mix is incredible. Love it!”
Redstickman (The Ambient Mafia) – “Love the deep and proggy elements on the Warped Remix. Good stuff.”
Jon Fugler (Fluke) - “I can honestly say that these tracks have made my day.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Heavenly indeed! Warped Remix is brimming with positive vibes. Love it.”
Shan Frenzie (2SER FM) – “Lovely deep dancefloor vibes.”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “I like the original and the Jason Peters Remix. Great vocal too.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Juno Download, And Spotify.

Luis Machuca, Max Zipursky, Andre Stepanian - Signs Of Love (Friskybeat Records)

Friskybeat Records presents "Signs Of Love," a collaborative venture between Label Owner/DJ/producer Luis Machuca, keyboardist/composer Max Zipursky, and flamenco-jazz guitarist Andre Stepanian. The three talents blend soul, funk, latin, and nu-disco house rhythms to orchestrate a tasteful offering for discerning music aficionados.

“Signs Of Love” is a splendid nu-disco flavored house cut full of energy and emotion. The framework for the track is a four-on-the-floor drum beat, driven by hi-hats, groovy percussion, and anticipated muted bass. The musical layers feature a vintage organ, lush piano strings, and electric guitar, all topped off with a soulful vocal loop to add extra heat.

The Synth Edit replaces some of the guitar parts with funky chord stabs and arpeggiated synths layers making the track slightly deeper and dance-floor focused.

The bonus track, “Get It Right,” is a superb latin house tune powered by slick percussion and frisky drum beats joined by a rich grand piano, evolving bass lines, warm synth pads, and electric guitar overtones and melodic riffs. The orchestration still allows the soul-powered vocal samples to take center stage.

The unique and signature voice samples in this release will leave the listener guessing … yet the singer's voice is so rich that it should be recognizable.

Distant People (Seamless) – “Wow, this is super cool. Just has everything you want.”
Andrew Emil (Glenview Records) – “Just perfection.”
Daz-I-Kue (Future Soul Records) – “Soulful vibes, which I’m loving.”
Deepshizzol (MyHouse YourHouse) – “Ooooh! Love this.”
Norbert Borchers (House Sound of Hamburg) – “Beautiful. Dope vocals!”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House Web Zine) – “Simply wonderful music.”
Jeannie Hopper (WBAI FM, New York) – “Reminiscent of Tortured Soul. Loving the live grooves and vocals.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Patchen - Southwest Passage Remixes (Harmonious Discord)

Southwest Passage, Patchen’s debut album, submerged its listeners in the energized, dulcet melodies of SF Bay Area producer Patchen Preston. The album is a collection of love letters to his cross-country life journey, all accented by meticulous sound design. Now, on the Southwest Passage Remixes, the album gets a deserved revisit with fantastic flips from KiloWatts, Polygon Rainbow, ONEX, quadratschulz, and Station Point. Wide ranges of ambient lullabies, intelligent electronic constructions, liquid atmospheres, and dubbed-out downbeats characterize this project with differing shades for all.

The first selection up is "Chime Garden," with a remix from the masterful KiloWatts, who leverages the tension of the original but layers on funky melodic instrumentation and syncopated synth work. Polygon Rainbow grabs the gazed-out "Office Life" for a signature vaporwave collision, complete with BOSS drums and arpeggiated bass. The cut builds on nostalgia with growing melodic elements. The album's tribute track "Techno Tony" gets a properly bent revision from Germany’s quadratschulz who delivers rapid-fire moods with systematic precision. The track moves through multiple scenes all with baked complexity. In contrast with the high energy of the quadratschulz remix comes a revision of "The End of the Beginning" with an absolutely tranquilizing drum-and-bass remix from ONEX. Melodically complex but comfortably simple, this remix evokes deep emotion while remaining technically sharp. Patchen returns to the project with a tangential approach to his "Chime Garden" tune, navigating it into more direct downtempo arenas. Wide stereo bass and slowly building garage drum constructions provide for a dancefloor iteration of the original. Closing out the project is the blissfully dubbed-out styling of longtime label member Station Point (Chakaharta, JDN). Unorthodox rhythm variations and infinitely evolving pad collisions usher the dub into the deeper water. This complexly beautiful tribute to one of the label’s premiere albums of 2022 is the fitting gift for this fall.

Nick Warren (The Soundgarden) – “A lovely set of mixes.”
Richard Hardcastle (Solid State) – “Quality package of atmospheric electronics. All high end.”
Psycho-Jones (Kater Blau) – “Love it!”
Andreas Kinzl (Aromabar) – “Serious works.”
Mason Rothert (Jet Set Radio) – “These are all awesome and unique.”
Harry Avers (NOICE! Radio show) – “A fine set of remixes. Harmoniously Delish.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.