Earth People

Reviews: 141

Single of the Week

diegoDiego Krause
Right About Now
Apollonia

Unison Wax main man debuts on the label with three equally quality productions that could just set the dancefloor on fire. The title track opens with crunchy drums but soon develops its emotions with tasteful keys complimenting the tough House rhythms perfectly.  Manitu, then adds more movement to the percussion to provide addictive listening, while Dreams completes the release with a combination of creative synths and more heavy-duty drums on the deepest but also possibly most compelling of the trio.

https://www.facebook.com/diegokrause
https://www.facebook.com/ApolloniaMusic

Sydney
Deeper Side To Life EP
Brise Records

Brise59-A bcExcellent new release from the ever impressive Brise with the title track from the EP sequencing sassy congo breaks together with warm, expanding chords and tech stabs alongside welcome human voices. A funky combination for sure, but also a deep and moody one with more than a twist of invention to the production. The Nightshift Remix then takes it up a gear with rolling bass adding heavier vibes to the darker elements of the original. Next, Serpente fuses break-beats with treated vocals and pulsating piano to again produce another imaginative arrangement of sounds. Label boss Helmut Dubnitzky provides a remix which adds fierce bass to a much moodier and excellent reworking.

Release: February

http://www.brise-records.com

Misfa Stereo
Something is Wrong
La Pitti Records

Two fresh new tracks from Neapolitan producer Pasquale Gargiulo aka Misfa Stereo go to make up this latest from La Pitti with the later F Is To Forget being the standout courtesy of the punchy beats and basslines adding tension to the organ punctuated grooves. The former, Something is Wrong feels less frantic with crisp snare hits and moody keys adding extra atmosphere. A remix comes care of Share Records’ Helder Teixeira who adds a more off kilter edge to the production via contrasting soulful vocals.

http://www.beatport.com/release/something-is-wrong/1451817

https://www.facebook.com/leftroom
http://www.lapittirecords.com

https://soundcloud.com/lapittirecords/sets/lpt005-misfa-stereo-something-is-wrong-la-pitti-records/s-mm1eA

Armand Van Helden
Masterpiece
Ministry Of Sound

Expect the unexpected. So I don’t quite know why I was surprised to see that Van Helden’s three CD compilation for the Ministry series were titled: The Loft, Yacht Rock Don’t Stop, and Freestyle Forever. For obvious reasons it’s the first CD and its selection of House classics (I use the word advisedly) complete with Masters At Work, Earth People and Logic’s timely ‘The Warning’ that all provide reasons to acquaint yourself thoroughly with the mix. The Freestyle collection is then highlighted by the more obvious Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam ‘I Wonder If I Take You Home’ and Joyce Sims anthem ‘(You Are My) All And All’ and I guess it’s a pre-House sound you either love or not. And so to the Yacht Rock selection which, let’s face it, contains a number of breezy, uplifting classics (though also a fair share of cringe) despite the terrible genre name attached to them now. Consequently if Toto, Chicago, and The Doobie Brothers sound like your idea of heaven then you’re in luck…

Release: February 14
Pre Order here: http://smarturl.it/AVH_iTunes

https://soundcloud.com/ministryofsound/masterpiece-armand-van-helden-minimix

One of Armand Van Helden’s 90’s classic records (not on the CD)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd05-1Wzji4

Share

Reviews:135

Single of the Week

Neil Parkes
Me & You EP
Leftroom Limited

Hats off to Neil Parkes for delivering such an exciting production which doesn’t follow the rule book, consequently sounding rather spectacular. Me & You is the led track and combines a distinctive, undulating synth line along with brooding chords and suitably leftfield vocals. A great remix comes from Richy Ahmed who punctuates it with Chicago styled vocal stabs and Detroit synthesizers augmenting the certainly tough bassline. Dixon, then sees the producer in deeper territory with moody atmospheres and shuffling percussion again delivering singular results. The excellent, ‘You Were’ ends on a high with provocative basslines amid weirdly addictive vocals and further tech keyboards that feel uniquely soulful.

release: November 10

https://www.facebook.com/neilparkesmusic
http://www.leftroom.com

https://soundcloud.com/leftroom/neil-parkes-me-you?in=leftroom/sets/neil-parkes-me-you-ep

Karizma
Beats & Bobs Vol.2
R2 Records

I did mean to bring you this a couple of weeks ago but circumstances got in the way. Never-the-less the sumptuous Klearkut chimes with the current vogue for shimmering, marimba styled keys underscored by tough beats, which is in this case superbly highlighted by an extra layer of percussion and subtle synths at mid-point. Great track, for sure. However, it’s to the timeless quality of Earth These Beats that attention turns. Replaying the Beats version of the 1990 classic Earth People ‘Dance’ and extending it out to ten minutes is tempting on paper but played loud releases all that funky energy at full blast.

http://www.traxsource.com/title/376724/beats-and-bobs-vol-2

http://www.r2records.com
https://www.facebook.com/karizma.kaytronik
https://twitter.com/KAYTRONIK

https://soundcloud.com/r2records/karizma-presents-beats-bobs-vol2

Max Chapman & Kieran Andrews
The Factory EP
Lost Records

We’re just about to hit November and already there’s a great list of music in store.  Following neatly on from their Temperature EP for the label comes this blistering, bassline infused production in the shape of Factory 7. It’s all thumping beats, crisps sounding snares and atmospheric noises swirling round the ether, and it’s positively nasty. Philip Bader’s remix drops the loser funkier vibe of the original in favour of more attacking House beats surrounded by a pulsating vocal stabs and a creative selection of sounds for high impact. Leaving, Loving Arms to feel more emotive with hooky vocal loops and driving rhythms to end the show.

release: November 17

https://www.facebook.com/Chapman.Max
https://www.facebook.com/kieran.andrews.58
https://www.facebook.com/LostRecordsUK

https://soundcloud.com/max-chapman/sets/max-chapman-kieran-andrews-1

Share

Pal Joey Q&A

 

Can you describe your musical background and how you came to choose the name Pal Joey?

frankGREW UP WITH DAD PLAYING JAZZ, SISTERS PLAYING MOTOWN, AND ROCK, R&B IN THE STREETS.
MY NAME COMES FROM THE MOVIE PAL JOEY, THOUGH I NEVER SAW THE FILM UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I LOVE FRANK SINATRA AND THE IMAGE OF HUSTLE THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT.

One of your earliest tracks Earth people ‘Dance’ was big on both sides of the Atlantic in 1990. What are your memories of creating the record/ what equipment were you using at the time?

I USED A DRUM MACHINE, KEYBOARD, DJ MIXER, TURNTABLE, SEQUENCER, 4TRACK REEL TO REEL, GREAT AMPLIFIER, AND GOOD SPEAKERS.

 

 

Another great production is Hot Music which has a much Jazzier flavour. Can you tell us about those Jazz influences?

JAZZ IS EVERYWHERE, IT HAS NUANCE, WHICH I LOVE. IT’S NOT POWER THAT I FEEL. I DON’T LIKE TO BE OVERPOWERED.
I LOVE SOLFEGE

 

 

What is your attitude towards sampling?

I LOVE TO SAMPLE.
OUR CHOICES ARE, USE THE SOUNDS THAT COME FROM A KEYBOARD OR FIND YOUR OWN.

What was your experience of working at Vinyl Mania in NYC?

Pal Joey BadgeTHE BEST TIMES.
IT WAS GREAT HELPING MUSIC LOVERS DISCOVER NEW MUSIC. A LOT OF SHARING. A WEALTH OF INFORMATION. AND THE BEST BOSS.

How did you first get in Dj’ing, who initially inspired you?

WHEN I WAS 16 I GOT A HOLD OF A CASSETTE WHERE A DJ WAS CUTTING UP COOL SONGS.
I LOVED THE WAY HE WOULD REPEAT SECTIONS OF THE SONG. I LOVED THE STORY THAT WAS TOLD. I WISH I STILL HAD THAT CASSETTE.

Your latest album: Pal Joey presents Hot Music, is a compilation of your productions from then to now. How did you go about choosing what went on it?

I PICKED MY HITS, SONGS I FEEL DEFINE ME. I PUT MAYBE A DIFFERENT MIX IF I HAD DONE ONE FOR CERTAIN SONGS, AND I PUT MY FAVORITE NEW SONGS AS WELL. COMPLETE PACKAGE 😉

 

http://soundcloud.com/bbemusic/01-loop-d-loop-24

 

How do you think that Dance Music has evolved from when you started out?

PEOPLE WOULD DANCE MORE BACK IN THE DAY. EVEN COUPLES WOULD DO MORE COOL STEPS.
THERE WAS LOFTING, BREAKDANCING, AND THE PUERTO RICANS HAD THERE SPECIFIC STEPS FOR THEIR FREESTYLE MUSIC. NOW THE DANCE IS NOT AS SERIOUS, PEOPLE TALK DRINK , HAVE A DANCE, HAVE A DRINK AND LEAVE. THERE ARE STILL SOME COOL PARTIES WHERE PEOPLE DANCE ALL NIGHT LONG.

Can you tell about what you have been producing recently?

I PRODUCE MUSIC. NOW I AM A FATHER. I TRY TO BALANCE EVERYTHING. I LOVE SPORTS.
I HAVE NEW PRODUCERS DOING REMIXES OF SONGS THAT WERE RELEASED TO KEEP THEM BUSY.
THE SONGS I GIVE THEM ARE USUALLY HIP HOP BEATS THAT LACKED SOMETHING. THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS MISSING AT THE TIME WOULD PROBABLY HAD BEEN A RAPPER, BUT BECAUSE OF TIMING THE SONG NEVER CAME OUT WITH VOCALS. SO I HAVE THESE GUYS ADD TO THE FOUNDATION I CREATED.

Where can people get to hear you DJ?

IN A TOWN NEAR YOU 😉

Buy:
http://www.bbemusic.com/releases/BBE229CDG/Pal%20Joey%20-%20Pal%20Joey%20presents%20Hot%20Music#.Um0A61OTbTo

 

paljoey010705

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share