On the week that a man bought a fridge in South Korea and discovered $130,000 was taped to the bottom of it, I go through the records which are more likely to make you thaw than freeze.
Steven Stone & Shyam P – Break Free (Deep Deluxe)
There’s a real trend at the moment for tunes that hark back to the early 90s, but don’t live in that era. This is a good example. That pad sound and punchy bassline is very reminiscent of that deeper early 90s house sound, but there’s a lot on the record that’s very here and now. And like a lot of records right now, it talks about living with freedom – hardly surprising after over a year of living under restrictions…
Sofi Tukker x Amadou & Mariam – Mon Cheri (The Red Hot Organization)
At the risk of being terribly sacrilegious, DJ Spinna is one of those producers whose infamous remixes are a bit Marmite for me. I either absolutely love them and can’t stop playing them, or I struggle to get through even the first listen. This remix? It fits firmly into the first category. It might be that playful bassline that’s doing it for me, or the fact I have absolutely no idea what they’re singing about – but I enjoy this one immensely.
Jackman Jones Feat. Venessa Jackson – Heavenly Love (Kattivo Black)
Venessa Jackson is one of the most exciting singers I’ve seen coming out of South Africa for years, quite possibly worldwide. She has one of the most versatile and intriguing voices I’ve heard for a long time. And this is definitely the catchiest thing she’s been involved with in a while. The original is good, but for my personal tastes, the Tony Fuel mix blows it out of the water. Delightful.
Johnick Meets Joey Chicago – Out Of This World (Henry Street)
Occasionally, I’m an absolute sucker for tunes like this. Around 1999, 2000 or so, I used to love these kinds of sample house tracks – much to the annoyance of my parents. They’re not as much in vogue with me these days, but every now and then, one of them comes along and it just makes me want to get up and start dancing. This does precisely that.
Ross Couch – Simple Things (Body Rhythm)
Need something a little bit more mellow but still very pleasing to the ear? Ross Couch can help with this production. He’s probably the most featured artist in the history of this column and not without reason. This one gets particularly lovely later on when a breakdown comes in slightly unexpectedly with some gorgeous piano chords.
