The 4th of July is around the corner, which means that the House of Blues will light up once again with the music of Frankie Knuckles on Sunday, July 3rd. Nothing ever keeps me from these parties, and this year is no exception. You don't want to miss this chance to see a beautifully diverse crowd of people and hear some of the best dance music around. I'll be the one on the dance floor with a camera and a black Bruce Lee shirt...
There's some great stuff out there now on the Underground House scene. Summer is a time when lots and lots of new music hits the streets and finds its way into the clubs.
On the Jellybean Soul label, a favorite for Deep House lovers, a track called 'Love Is Key' by Marlon D. featuring Stephanie Renee is burning up the dance floor. It's definitely a throw-back to a more old school sound, with very spare beats and a thick bass kick. Miss Renee's slippery vocals slide over the beats, and funk everything up into a frenzy. There are quite a few remixes, but the hottest is definitely the Halo & Jamie Thinnes Revisited Vox Mix, truly the Deepest of the bunch. Marlon's Club Mix takes second in line, a little more spare but with the same vocals.
A happy and bouncy Deep House groove is set into motion by Suburban Souls' latest track 'You Got Me Feelin'' on the Reelhouse label. It's another spare track that pairs a flute and a keyboard with some really fun beats, and of course a hollerin' diva, because really, this wouldn't be a Peter Mavrik column without one or two diva vocal tracks. Both the Original Mix and CD's Re-Edit bring the same bright and happy vibe to the dance floor.
Para el sabor Latino en el club, Mambana has created an awesome track called 'Felicidad' on Soulfuric Trax. It's done in a similar style to the ever popular Pasilda by Afro Medusa, but Felicidad is so much more. The vocals are in both Spanish and English, and the furious piano playing blends perfectly with them, making this a track you'll definitely dance to. The Rasmus Farber Remix flips it downtempo a bit, turning the track into a softer, sexier jam. This is definitely a credit to the Soulfuric label, a name always known for tracks that make you move.
This week I'll end with a bit of Disco House. A track called 'Take It Back' by Kolai Krew mixes a handful of influences up on their latest dance mix on the Thaisoul label. Take one diva, add some scratched old-school vocals, drop in some House beats and those Disco strings we all love, and there you have it. The singing diva on the Vocal mix takes the track to another level, but the rap on the Oldschool Vibe mix really takes me back to that good spoken-word music from the past.
With you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
peter@windycitymediagroup.com
