Tags: Soulful House

Review: AXNER's latest single 'Shout From The Rooftop' is as glossy and golden as disco gets with two members of Nile Rodgers' Chic in the form of drummer Ralph Rolle and vocalist Audrey Martells both helping to make it so. It's got a soaring vocal and funky basslines and gets some high-grade remix treatment here. French artist and Folamour collaborator Kousto goes for a sunny house remix with the original's riffs left in place. The legendary John Morales offers a timeless M + M main mix that brims with glorious instrumentation and nonstop grooves and the one and only Al Kent brings his magic touch to a perfect Balearic sound with some superb Rhodes solos.

Review: Vega Records finally drops this EP from Honeysweet having teased tunes from it on the Vega Records 5 Pack Unreleased III. It's a superb house offering with lashings of soulful groovers, all produced by Josh Milan. First out of the blocks is 'Last Night Changed It All' featuring Lawrence Clark on sax. It's a jam that will pack out the floor but brims with real musicality from the magical Rhodes, picked bass guitar, rhythm guitar and drums. 'Crazy' is a more raw, textured percussive sound but then come plenty more feel-good grooves for sun-kissed dance floors such as 'Being Free.'

Review: Mira Lo has been making waves in her native France for some time, with a trademark production style that effortlessly blurs the boundaries between squelchy, synth-heavy nu-disco, deep house and the classy end of 21st century synth-pop (think Junior Boys). There's plenty to admire on her first EP for Pont Neuf. Check first the house tempo synth-pop deepness of 'Sparks', before immersing yourself in the pitched-up beats, mid-80s video game melodies and slipped r&b vocals of 'Away From You'. Elsewhere, Lou Martini provides lead vocals on the kaleidoscopic nu-disco squelch of 'My Best Memory', 'I Think You Worth It' is a synth strings-laden analogue house workout, and 'Hope' is a slap bass-propelled trip through hybrid deep nu-disco/boogie-house territory.