Enter Rubb Sound System, aka Rees Urban and Brian Boncher. The duo has been on a tear for the last few years producing dozens of original songs and remixing many of Chicago house music’s royals including Frankie Knuckles, Steve Silk Hurley, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Armando Gallop, DJ Deeon, Robert Armani, Ron Hardy, and others. The Rubb boys take Rêves into deep house territory, keeping much of the original groove while adding their own meticulously programmed swinging house rhythm and walloping subby bassline. Urban and Boncher’s true gift is creating arrangements that DJs love and their version of Rêves does not disappoint. They’ve extended the grooves of the original for long blends and live remixing.

Yann Polewka - Rêves (Rubb Sound System Remix)

Chris Udoh - Starry Skies (Vocal Dub)

Chris Udoh - Starry Skies

Chris Udoh - Lonely

Chris Udoh - Savage/Loaded

Chicago producers created what is commonly known these days as booty or ghetto house in the late 80s. Arguably the best known track from those early days is Work That Mutha Fucker by Steve Poindexter which was released on Muzique Records in 1989.

There have since been many tracks that pay homage to the original and in this release you’ll find a 21st century version created by Chicago’s own Geto Mark. With WTMF, Mark has created a new version of the classic rhythm track and added a mixture of his own voice and other vocal micro samples to create a heavy hitter that'll give any Chicago House fan that original Ghetto House feeling.

WTMF gets a T.O.A.D. mix by Mazi Namvar, who’s been making house music for over 25 years under many pseudonyms including Audio Soul Project, Studio Nova, ABS, Beatpushers, and others.

Mark’s EP rounds out with two fantastic alternatives, Booty Bounce and They Don’t Know. Booty Bounce is a 90s hard house beater in the style of another classic Chicago label, UC Music. They Don’t Know is the kind of R&B and jackin’ House fusion that the late legend Paul Johnson made famous.

This is Geto Mark giving you the real Chicago ish.
credits
released June 3, 2022

Tracks 1, 3, and 5 written and produced by Mark Almaria.
Track 2 additional and production by Maziar Namvar. Mix by Tim Vitek.
All tracks mastered by Dietrich Schoenemann at Complete Mastering USA.

In Ya Eye

They Don't Know

Booty Bounce

WTMF (TOAD Mix)

WTMF

Audio Soul Project is back with their latest vinyl-only EP, Simurgh. With a title inspired by the mythical Persian bird, these four tracks fuse elements of house, R&B, dub, and drum & bass to create an ecstatic and hypnotic experience.

The EP kicks off with "Deliver Me," a dreamy house track with warm filtered chords and bouncing synth bass. R&B female vocal ad libs pepper the groove and the refrain "Deliver Me" adds a sense of yearning. The percussion, including morphing 4x4 and breakbeat drums, piano and synth stabs, nod to the cerebral Detroit and Chicago house compositions of the mid 90s.

"Azizam Dub" takes a more stripped-down approach with a subsonic bass line bump and Juno 106 stabs. Frantic percussion and deftly cut vocal samples accent the ebbs and flows of the arrangement, making for a dynamic and engaging dance.

The B-side of the record starts with "Internal Vybrations," a bass-heavy drum & bass track that winds and jumps with multiple layers of deep, fluttering bass and ambient pads and strings. Percussion layers like hi-hats, shakers, and maracas lift and relax the rhythm in parallel to the rest of the composition, making for a hypnotic and trance-inducing vibe.

The B2 track on the EP, "Celebration Dub," is a bass-heavy swinging house track with ecstatic diva "Whooo" samples that punctuate the ups and downs of the groove's energy. Classic reggae and dub-influenced vocal samples and heavy tape delay on certain key instruments add to the joyful and uplifting vibe of the track. The keyboard and string section can transport a dancer to other realms of consciousness if they let themselves go to the groove.

Simurgh is a masterful fusion of various genres that showcases Audio Soul Project's production prowess and ability to create an entrancing sonic journey.

TL;DR: Audio Soul Project's Simurgh EP features 4 tracks of dub-infused house music. Deliver Me has dreamy chords and female R&B adlibs, Azizam Dub is stripped down with subsonic bass and vocal samples, Internal Vybrations is a bass-heavy drum & bass track, and Celebration Dub is a swinging house track with reggae and dub vocal samples.

Everything by Maziar Namvar except where indicated below
Mix on Deliver Me and Celebration Dub by Brian Boncher
Mix on Azizam Dub and Internal Vybrations by Tim Vitek
Mastering by Dietrich Schoenemann   
Copyright Control
2023 Fresh Meat Records

Celebration Dub

B2 - Celebration Dub

Internal Vybrations

B1 - Internal Vybrations

Azizam Dub

A2 - Azizam Dub

Deliver Me

A1 - Deliver Me

Fresh Meat Records is inspired by the “other side” of Chicago house – the sometimes soulful, sometimes tracky, but always emotional, experimental-leaning dance cuts that are at the deep core of Chicago House music.

Fresh Meat Records

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