Essential Mix:
Classic Edition
Grandmaster Flash
Warner Bros.
Considered one of the top DJs of all time and certainly one of the industry’s most enduring figures, Flash continues to display his extraordinary skills with this collection.
The master drops some old-school favorites in one skillful, continuous mix, which includes Nu Shooz’ “I Can’t Wait,” Fatback Band’s “I Found Lovin’,” Blondie’s “Rapture,” Indeep’s “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life,” D Train’s “You’re The One For Me,” Afrika Bambaattaa’s “Planet Rock,” Denroy Morgan’s “I’ll Do Anything For You” and MFSB’s endless classic, “Love Is The Message.” Flash gives us an audio documentary of what street dance music was all about in the late 1970s and early 1980s – without a doubt, a brilliant collection of 17 classics.
– Phil Turnipseed

 

Nubreed
Satoshi Tomiie
Global Underground
On this mind-blowing two-CD set, Tomiie shows his incredible ability to blend heavy tribal rhythms and dark house undertones. There are monster tracks like Little Green Men’s “These Are The Beats” and Lexicon Avenue’s “From Dusk Till Dawn.” Flawless house vocals such as Kings of Tomorrow’s “I Want You For Myself” and he’s even thrown in the early house classic “You Gotta Believe” (Atomic Slide) by Fierce Ruling Diva for good measure. Tomiie has really outdone himself on this compilation. Don’t miss out.
– Shawn Christopher

“Love and Friendship”
Scarface
Rap-A-Lot
This smokey groove features Scarface spitting lyrics on fake love and so-called friendships. With its downtempo, heavy bass-influenced production, the vibe is down-and-dirty with a straight-ahead rap by Scarface. Nice female background vocals are included, but they’re minimal in the mix. We’re feeling this groove.
– Phil Turnipseed

“How It’s Gonna Be”
Lovher
Def Soul
New girls on the block Lovher get their sexy R&B single worked over in a big way with a slew of pounding remixes. The DJ’s choice is the “Pound Boys Vocal” and “Dub” mixes. Both feature penetrating basslines that are sure to rock any party. There’s some heavy percussion and seductive keyboard work as well, which all add up to a sexy soulful house creation. We’re also feeling the “Phenix Dub Mix,” a bouncey dubby deep-house piece with a slick synth-led hook. Bastone & Burnz add two progressive jams that are ready made for peak hour consumption – wicked!
– Phil Turnipseed

“A Deeper Sound”
Sir Oliver
SFP
A deeper sound is right! Producer Sir Oliver gets down and delicious with this sexy deep-tech offering – an underground gem. Featuring a tribal percussion program and an absolutely wicked bassline, Oliver drops a smooth creation that’s sure to be a deep house favorite. Two mixes are showcased here. The “Deeper Dub” drops a stripped-down, minimal bass-hit groove, while the “Deeper Sound Mix” delivers a similar vibe, but adds some haunting vocals for effect. Both mixes are straight-up deep-house pieces and both will be at an underground club near you.
– Phil Turnipseed

Horizons
Seb Fontaine
Thrive
A terrific collage of progressive beats. Top tunes include 16th Element’s “Warp,” Indiana’s “Do You Hear Me,” Narcotic Thrust’s “Safe From Harm,” and Gaston & Rowell’s “Summer Skies.” A twisted mix from one of England’s top jocks.
– Duanny Medrano

“Away”
Mantra featuring
Lydia Rhodes
You
Peter Rauhofer’s treatment of this Junior Vasquez anthem keeps the vocal hook, unlike John Creamer and Stephane K.’s recent remix for You. It’s pure Star 69 fare – ultra-smooth, tight, and sharp, with tech-y sounds used in a house configuration. Rhodes’ rich vocal is straightforward and simple, without any diva theatrics. While Vasquez’s original is still the definitive version, this is a faithful and functional update.
– Kerri Mason

“I Can Give It To You”
Spectralminds
Pod Recordings
“I Can Give It To You” is an incredible journey through riveting trancey keys, monster tribal kicks and walls of chunky, pumping basslines. This is a big-room peak-hour record. Play it loud.
– Shawn Christopher

MMII
John Digweed
ffrr
Perhaps a tad more minimal than usual Digweed fare, this 10-track mix comp blazes nonetheless. The 10-track motif has great songs like Sean Q6’s “Of Course,” Spooky’s “Belong,” the Charlie May remix of Mandalay’s “Deep Love,” and the Darren Emerson remix of 108 Grand’s “Te Quiero.” If you’re a Digger fan, this is another must buy.
– Duanny Medrano

Queer As Folk: Music
From The Second Season
Various Artists
RCA
Those Showtime people don’t only nail the nightclub scenes on “Queer As Folk” – they’ve got the music down, too. Circuit vet DJ Manny Lehman handles mixing for the show’s second compilation release, which puts you right on the floor with the pumped-up, half-naked party boys of clubland. Some of these mostly tribal, diva-driven tracks toe that thin line between gay and radio anthem (Deborah Cox’s “Absolutely Not,” Hex Hector’s mix of Kim English’s “Everyday”), while others are sufficiently underground (Satoshi Tomiie’s “Sneaky One”). But Lehman blends it all together in an energetic mix that could do a number on any dancefloor, on Friday night or Sunday morning.
– Kerri Mason

“It Comes Back Around”
Billie
Nervous
Given a bouncy, deep-house production with some dark synth hits, “It Comes Around” has the stuff that could propel Billie back into the club limelight. Produced by Kyle “Small” Smith, the vocals are vintage Billie and an excellent background arrangement is included on the “Original Mix.” The “Blanke Street Dub” emphasizes that sexy bassline, as well as the background vocals. Billie’s voice hasn’t really changed that much and with a track like this, she works it to the fullest.
– Phil Turnipseed

“Backfired”
Masters at Work feat. India
MAW/Tommy Boy
MAW fans have been crying out for a reunion with India, vocalist on the classic “To Be In Love,” and here it is. Joey Negro gets the A-side and he turns out a typically faultless vocal-disco houser in his own typical style. He may have his dodgy moments, but when he’s good he’s great, and this is absolutely essential. Flipside duties go to Frankie Feliciano, who serves up a completely different option with his pitched-down, immaculately soulful effort. A great effort for DJs looking to spin more relaxed sessions.
– Nathan Brown

Louie DeVito’s Dance Factory
Louie DeVito
DeeVee/Musicrama
With 21 tracks included, DeVito’s latest mix-comp is an instant club party. Cuts like Amber’s “Yes,” Aubrey’s “Stand Still,” Kim Sozzi’s “Feelin’ Me,” Andrea Brown’s “Trippin’,” and Modjo’s “Lady” offer listeners plenty of trancey house beats and vocal grooves.
– Phil Turnipseed

Old School Rap Party
Various Artists
Thump
Thump Records continues to revitalize the classic sounds of yesterday with another in a series of old school vibes. Rap Party features some of rap and pop music’s biggest hits of the 1980s and early 1990s. Guaranteed to get the party started are cuts like C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat,” Digital Underground’s “Humpty Dance,” Wreckx N Effect’s “Rump Shaker,” Salt N Pepa’s “Push It,” Tag Team’s “Whoomp There It Is,” and Snap’s “The Power.”
– Phil Turnipseed

Lights Out
Steve Lawler
Global Underground
The first disc starts out slow, but things pick up, as you’d expect, with a Scumfrog record – “The Watersong,” in this case. A thumping unreleased dub of Lawler’s own “Andante” tickles the senses; Thick Dick’s Orgasm then tickles something entirely different. A Lawler comp without a Cevin Fisher track is like a stamp without an envelope, and the inclusion of the delightfully old-school “Let’s Get It Together” is as welcome as it was predictable. Disc two features many more personal touches from Lawler – in addition to the usual surfeit of a cappellas and swooshy effects, there’s no less then three Lawler re-edits done specially for the CD. But who cares about all that nonsense when you have a CD taking in electro, prog, future-shock-style tech house, as well as the more traditional – though occasionally lackluster – tribal (stand up, Antoine 909), and an absolute belter of a closer? Maurice and Noble turn out a wicked mix of Canteen’s “Everyone Else” that calls Stoneproof’s classic “Everything’s Not You” to mind: deep, dark, moody, certainly, but also exceptionally soulful, though in a proggy sort of way, of course. Anyway, it’s a lovely way to close out the album.
– Nathan Brown