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Daydreams

Into The Blue

"Working my ass off, to be honest," is how Eli Escobar starts our interview  below. That basically sums up his vibe. The New Yorker might not have the same household name status of other DJs who have been soundtracking Manhattan clubs since the early '90s, but he certainly deserves it. Any New York resident worth their salt should have him near the top of the list of their favorite local DJs. He plays anywhere and everywhere in the city, and he can play pretty much anything he wants to, as his RA Podcast will attest.

When it comes to his own music, Escobar puts out records equally informed by disco, hip-hop and house—in other words, a very New York sound. He hasn't been producing as long as he's been DJing, but his albums and EPs for labels like Classic, Night People and Razor N Tape are full of the soul, humor and talent of someone who knows dance music inside out.

As Escobar says below, he doesn't really have any one type of sound. His DJing varies greatly from night to night, and he's always adding to his considerable collection, so no one set is quite the same as another. For his RA Podcast, put together painstakingly with many specially edited tracks and recorded in a hotel room in Colombia, he strikes a relatively reflective tone, but it's still eminently danceable. He moves gradually through two hours of house and disco that ranges from celebratory to muted, from minimalist to rich with live instrumentation. It's the sound of New York dance music as passed through generations, from one of its best and most beloved musical storytellers.

@eliescobar

Read more: https://ra.co/podcast/839

RA podcast

RA.839 Eli Escobar

Heels & Souls step back to ‘88 for their sixth reissue, relicensing, and remastering Flair's anthemic soul number 'Chasin' The Rain.'  For the uninitiated, strap yourself in for six blissful minutes of heavy bass licks, soaring vocals, and infectious synth lines. Consisting of Janet Rose (aka UK Soul queen JB Rose), Joe Matz, Peter Bielig, and Peter Shindler, Flair was a predominantly German affair, with Rose being the only UK band member and Bielig living in London during the late '80s. This is a curious detail considering 'Chasin' The Rain' is often lauded today as a UK Soul classic - partially due to its release on the prolific UK label Champion. However, it's squeaky-clean production values, and the fact it was mixed and mastered at the famous Jankowski Studio in Stuttgart by three Germans, reveals a somewhat different story.

The track has that UK street soul heavy low-end, but with a synth-pop flavour sprinkled in the mix - swinging synth lines and gated snares aplenty. Yet from chatting to Peter Bielig, who's been instrumental in getting this record reissued, the sounds sweeping across the Atlantic from the likes of Jam and Lewis - who blended R&B, funk, soul, and pop - were clearly a big influence too. Those were heady days for four young twenty-something musicians, with Peter recalling cherished memories these tracks bring back, telling of his and JB's PA sessions at London's Gulliver's nightclub. However, while 'Chasin' The Rain' had all the hallmarks of a chart-breaking hit, Champion prioritized other projects and the record never broke. Sadly, the group disbanded after only two releases, and this musical gem was consigned to the crates of those in the know.  Unfortunately, the master tapes were nowhere to be found, so Heels & Souls had the maestro, Sean P, rip and restore a mint copy of the record, with award-winning mastering engineer Cicely Balston working her studio magic for that extra punch.

BUY on JUNO

PREMIERE : Flair - Chasin The Rain (Dub)

Brine - Outer Space Grooves
FW011
28/07/23

Brine - Keep Runnin' From You (DEEJ OF KOOLEY HIGH Remix)

Island Dreams

Wave Riding

The Revenge “Intimate Connection” double EP will be released March 7th 2016 through Roar Groove on limited double 12” Vinyl, limited CD and Digital.

Pre-order : http://roargroove.com/album/the-revenge-intimate-connection-rgrv017-2

Part One
1. Our Own Thing
2. Answer Man
3. New Nation
4. Night Fever (Live Dub)

Part Two
1. Isle Of Lucy
2. Let Love Take The Blame
3. No Turning Back
4. Just One Touch (Live Dub)


Dsi

Milton Jackson

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