“Impressive Instant”
Madonna
Maverick
Madonna has re-invented herself more often to reach more audiences than any artist imaginable in the music industry and this title is the perfect example of the ease with which she crosses over from pop to club. Once again she shows that she’s in touch with clubland with her remixer choice of Peter Rauhofer, who delivers big-time. Rauhofer’s “Universal Club Mix” and “Drowned World Dub” cleverly work her  vocals in Vocoder mode throughout the pumping bassline, catchy synths and slamming beats. Be on the lookout for these hot remixes.
– Mikey D. Merola

Nude Dimensions 3
Various Artists
Naked Music
First realized in 1999 by the triple threat of Jay Denes, Dave Boonshoft and Bruno Ybarra, Naked Music has been at the forefront of sexy, deep-house music in its short lifetime. In Nude Dimensions 3, mixed by J. Mark Andres, Naked Music takes a snapshot of the wide spectrum of dance styles being produced around the world. Blending bits of electro, broken beats and new jazz with the signature deep-house feel, this volume features some of today’s most intriguing underground talents. Standout tracks include Gaelle’s “Rain,” Central Living’s “Everyday,” Miguel Migs’ “Blue Six Tribute” and Blue Six’s “Love Yourself.” Don’t miss.
– Shawn Christopher

Blue Energy
Jaia
Yellow Feather
OK, this isn’t exactly new – the original was released in 1998 – but this reissue is significant to trance fans and, if you’ve never heard Jaia before, prepare to see the light. Jaia is simply the high watermark of the uplifting, melodic and highly spiritualized trance that’s picked up such a huge following around the world. “Mai Mai” is a track spoken of in hushed tones at rainforest and mountaintop parties, and here it is in all its glory. “Anawa’s Paradise” reflects Jaia’s solid command over the true acid dancefloor epic, and the angelic “After The Rain” must be heard to be believed. And if that’s not enough, the accompanying Blue Synergy CD of oddities provides excellent value for your import money, making the best release of 1998 also one of the best of 2001. Listen and learn.
– Damion Brown

“Mirage”
Moogroove
Saw Recordings
Lovers of progressive house’s deep, dark side should like this new effort from Kenji Eto (aka Moogroove) on Satoshi Tomiie’s label. Opening with a creepy vibe, Tomiie’s “Mirage” remix pulses with tribal force, all the while punching up dark passages which lead to monstrous breakdowns. Tomiie’s edit of the original mix lays down a more hypnotic aural landscape.
– Jim Tremayne

“Star Suite”
Mondo Grosso
King Street
An epic deep-house piece that displays the brilliant production skills of Kevin Hedge and Josh Milan (aka Blaze), “Star Suite” starts out with a spoken-word approach and morphs into a roaring vocal-gospel song. Throw in a relentless, funky bass and some beautiful flutes and you have a new garage classic. For DJs pushing a soulful vibe, this one will be timeless.
– Shawn Christopher

“Beep Beep Love”
The Incredible Moses Leroy
Ultimatum Music
Remember Gruppo Sportivo? OK, never mind, but this diverse collection of mixes brings the long-forgotten Dutch new wave crew into modern clubland. The Q-Burns Abstract Message mix clocks in with a punchy, almost cartoonish vibe – still, despite the quirkiness, it’s definitely booty shakin’. The Malibu remix goes more regulation old-school disco, but Gavin Hardkiss’ take pushes it into trippy house territory. The peppy Random Remix (with Supreme Beings of Leisure) rides a happy piano figure over a snappy breakbeat and pushes the hooky vocals upfront.
– Jim Tremayne

“Like A Butterfly”
MAW feat. Patti Austin
MAW Records
Masters At Work Kenny “Dope” Gonzales and “Little” Louie Vega bring us a funky and delightful house piece that’s destined for classic garage status. “Like a Butterfly” finds Austin singing her heart out with a beautifully catchy chorus that you’ll never get tired of. And MAW’s production is nothing short of brilliant – luscious keys, a smoothed-out bassline and flowing guitar licks combine with Austin’s soothing vocal to make this one a dancefloor gem.
–Shawn Christopher

“I’m Over You”
Lisa Pure
Xtreme
Former Collective vocalist Lisa Pure makes some powerful noise on her hot new single, which hits hard with tons of attitude. Produced by Giuseppe D and L. Pjura, the cut includes various notable remixes. Check “The Mike Ski Future Vox” for a  harder, deeper groove.
– Mikey D. Merola

“Future Blue”
Purple & Ronan
Transient
Purple & Ronan turn in an icy tech-trance number. The original mix offers a solid bass and it builds perfectly with the aid of vocal swirls and it hooks up to a weirdly wonderful synth line. The remix on the flip is more psychedelic with a nice fat, dubby groove underpinning maximum-reverb effects and noises. Also check the melodies sneaking in and out over the top, while a subtle 303 adds stability. Totally unique, very futuristic and damn impressive. – Damion Brown

“Can Heaven Wait”
Luther Vandross
J Records
Vandross’ infectious and (as usual) enormous vocals combine with a hook that will stay in your brain for a long time. The dance remixes, brought to you by Thunderpuss duo Barry Harris and Chris Cox, offer driving beats and typical dancefloor intensity. The “SAF Remix” heads in a different direction by showing a deeper and darker side.
– Mikey D. Merola

“Talkin’”
Jimpy Star
69
Imagine a tribal record at half-speed and you’ll latch onto the bizarre power of this one. “Paul Goodyear’s NY Club Edit” builds with intrigue like a good spy-film soundtrack. Crafty. But with its subliminal sounds that approximate sonar blips and kettledrums, the “Tarantella vs. Redanka Remix” somehow gets even more ominous.
– Jim Tremayne