“Heartbreaker”
Mariah Carey
Columbia

Enlisting the help of DJ/remixer extraordinaire Junior Vasquez, Ms. Carey drops a cool remix of her R&B hit. It’s actually a pretty smooth mix for Vasquez since he’s usually on the very progressive house tip. One of the mix’s highlights comes when the tempo slows and Carey breaks into a sharp rendition of the Val Young classic “If You Should Ever Be Lonely.” It’s fairly funky and should offer a nice surprise to your crowd.

"Soldier"
Aaron Carl
Filtered
They’re at it again. The Filtered crew just keeps dropping the coolest house tracks these days and this new one is no exception. Vocalist Aaron Carl gives a spirited performance on a deep garage house groove with four excellent mixes to choose from. All the remixes are working, but if you need something to really get excited about check the “C&M Sanctified Club Mix,” a pumpin’, dark, moody groove that will tear the roof off. And for that revival feel, “The Sunday Church Mix” delivers. Excellent all the way around.

"We're Here To Dance"
b/w "El Mosquito"
Nature Of Sound
21st Century
These wicked progressive house jams come without all the toughness, but with plenty of soul. Producers Willie Colon, Juan Valentine, and Keith Kemper get busy on two blistering tracks that will work most dancefloors. Both cuts offer excellent synth vibes on top of a very busy rhythm track. Some minimal vocals are thrown in for fun, but the groove here is all about sweet progressive house. Not to be missed.

"So Hi"
Peak feat. Beverly Houston
Playland
With “So Hi,” Playland drops a scintillating house jam. With an electrifying vocal by Ms. Houston and some great mixes, this is a serious groove. For the mainstream crowd, the “Kung Pow Mix” works, but for the serious underground heads check the flip side for Phenix’s “Funky Dub” and “Basement Dub” mixes. Deep and delicious, both mixes hit with soulful authority. The bomb.

"Here Comes The Rain Again"
Sheryl Lee Ralph
TRAX
On this great remake of the classic Eurythmics track, the “Solar City Club Mix” is a powerful effort that makes great use of Sheryl’s soulful voice. Check the vocal stabs in an intro that builds with the string and piano accents in the first drop. The track continues to build with the original structure redone with energetic synth lines to make this a great early to peak-hour song. The “Sunshine Dub” works more progressive and should do well during the late night time. For more, information call (888) 649 5625.

"Compilation of the Month"
Nervous Tracks
Armand Van Helden
Nervous

Nervous Records drops the first of its five-volume “Innovators” series featuring early tracks from some of house music’s legendary producers. (Others include Cevin Fisher, Todd Edwards, Paul Van Dyk and Mood II Swing.) On Vol. 1, Van Helden displays the studio chops that put him where he is today in the house music forefront. Cuts like Deep Creed’s “CanU Feel It,” “Warrior’s Dance” and Van Helden’s “Egyptian Magician” and Kim English’s “Nite Life” show that with his vicious kicks Van Helden was an innovator even back in the day. Of course, these cuts can rock the clubs today as well.

"You Don't Know"
Mass Syndicate feat. Su Su Bobien
Groovilicious
Bangin’...that is the optimum word here on this very delicious track produced by Sandra Russo and Ce Ce Rogers. Given an absolutely wicked “Twilo After Hours Mix” by Junior Vasquez, the epic 10:05 workout features a phat, sinister bassline, a relentless synth hook, and an inspirational raise-the-roof performance by Ms. Bobien. It’s soulful, vocal-driven garage bliss. A bit of a change for Vasquez, but his mix offers resounding results. A real pick hit.

"Let's Get Brutal"
Nitro Deluxe vs. George Llanes Jr.
Cutting
Legendary dance label Cutting Records reaches back into its considerable catalogue and brings back this classic with a complete makeover compliments of George Llanes. What was once a deep, garagey track has been pumped up into a progressive assault on the dancefloor. The classic little hook is still intact, but it gets surrounded by a slammin’ percussion program, cool little breaks, a male vocal bite, and just an overall pumpin’, body-slammin’ groove. A definite show stopper.

"E=VC2"
Victor Calderone
Tommy Boy

This splendid mix-CD of vocal anthems (Kim English’s “Unspeakable Joy”), bust-it tracks (Dan Q’s “Aura Tribe” and Pete Heller’s “Big Love”) and clever drops (Royal House’s “Can You Party” and Basement Jaxx’s “Fly Life”) puts you in the middle of Calderone’s kinetic dancefloor. Also, check Calderone and Peter Rauhofer’s updated and slammin’ version of C+C’s “Do It Properly.” Lovers of tribal flavors and vocal house, please line up.

"Gotta Have Love"
Plasmic Honey
Jellybean
Just in case you have not been on the planet this year, New York’s Plasmic Honey has been the duo of this past summer’s club scene. Everything they have touched has been a smash hit and “Gotta Have Love” will be no exception. With two mixes to choose from, this cut is sure to become a house anthem. With its driving deep-house bassline, synth tracks that make dancers lose themselves in the mix and the sharp vocal stabs, “Gotta Have Love” is a winner. A must-have.

"Five Fathoms "
Everything But The Girl
Atlantic
This incredible single from the upcoming Temperamental album features smooth and haunting vocals from Tracey Thorn. On Peter Rauhofer’s remix, Club 69 works this into a hard-house gem, while Kevin Yost does this thing with a cool, deep house mix that offers some nice guitar.

"Love is in the Air"
Keith Litman
Nervous
Keith Litman presents us with another strong hard houser. With some intense keys that beautifully flow along with the throbbing, always changing bassline, “Love is in the Air” is an extremely well-crafted record. Also, check the harder mixes by Tim Rex. Try mixing “Love is in the Air” with “Skin” by Charlotte for an incredible effect. For more info, call (212) 273-1135.

"Come With Me Tonight"
That Kid Chris feat. Melanie
Jellybean
A progressive house/trance/crossover record all rolled into one that screams “packed dancefloor” from intro to end. “Come With Me Tonight” also offers a touch of dark flavor that should keep underground denizens happy. This one should be a DJ favorite across the board.

"Aura Tribe "
Dan Q
*69
The second release on Peter Rouhofer’s new Strictly Rhythm-distributed *69 label, “Aura Tribe” features brilliant drum programming and has the classic Club 69 tribal, hard-house flair. With wicked rolling percussion and mind-blowing off-beat congas, this is a super-tight production not to be missed by any DJ. For info call, (212) 254-2400.