The Balearic Gabba Soundsystem is back, back with a new EP that features three more leftfield remixes from curious electronic specialist Enzo Elia that have all been licensed officially by Irma Records. The source material for his three unhinged reworks is a track by 90s Italian house duo Soft House Company and two from cult Italian DJ and producer Don Carlos.

Soft House Company released only two EPs, both in 1990, but made a big impact with them: pretty much everyone has heard ‘What You Need’ and that’s the track that gets remixed here. Elia turns it into a slightly more bouncy and disco leaning cut with raw silvery drums, huge vamping piano chords and those classic vocal cries and already Eddie C and Gerd Jansen have been playing it. At the breakdown there is the sound of waves breaking on a beach before pianos go wild: It’s a freewheeling and sure fire party starting track that still does the trick nearly quarter of a century after original release.

Don Carlos was behind such seminal club tracks as 1991’s ‘Alone’ and produced five studio albums in the nineties and naughties. He fuses Afro rhythms with deep house vibes and has DJed all over the world since the 70s. The first of his to get re-worked is ‘Overture’, which starts with tropical bird cries, whistles and loon calls. It’s the sound of a humid jungle that gets slowly consumed by lush pads, delicate piano melodies and stirring string sounds. With a truly magical atmosphere and uplifting joyousness permeating the whole thing, it cannot fail to make you feel on top of the world.

Finally, Elia tackles ‘Chicago’ (a track that’s already been supported by Soft Rocks) and does so with swathes of mesmeric effects. Organic hand congas, breathy vocal snippets and a bristling nebula of synths, pads and strings all dance around each other in reservedly euphoric symphony.

This might just be one of the most beautifully and bizarrely Balearic releases yet from the ever unhinged Balearic Gabba Soundsystem.

Soft House Company - What You Need (Enzo Elia Balearic Gabba Style)

Our Full Intention remix of Tears released in 1999 on FFRR / Essential recordings

Frankie Knuckles Presents Satoshi Tomiie - Tears (Full Intention mix)

When I listen back at this, i realize how heavy and deep my spirit was. i was very sad and needed a light to lift me up and out of my depression.  i jotted down on paper exactly what i was feeling and it became the words of this song. i closed my eyes and cried inside so loud that i felt like i had an outer body experience recording this. kerri and i met for the first time that day. i never heard the track before nor he knew of my lyrics.  He played live as i recorded the vocals. his spirit and energy ignited this performance. We recorded it in one take.  INSPIRATION! WOW!

Inspiration (Bassapella)  Kerri Chandler & Arnold Jarvis

I Am Me

Storybook (Mood II Swing Presents Wall Of Sound)

Critical (feat. Gerald Lethan) (Original Mix)

Buy on 7" vinyl or digital formats: https://bbemusic.lnk.to/BrighterDays

BBE are excited to present the first in a new series of strictly limited 7” pressings exploring some of the most iconic House tracks of all time, as chosen by DJ Spinna and Kai Alce. With global interest in ‘45s on the rise, ‘Foundations’ aims to fill those frustrating gaps in all our collections by releasing specially crafted edits of classic house tracks on 7” vinyl for the very first time.

Part one of the ‘Foundations’ series celebrates Chicago producer Cajmere’s early masterpiece ‘Brighter Days’ featuring Dajae. Best known in recent years by his ‘Green Velvet’ moniker, Curtis Jones has been blazing a trail through House and Techno since launching his Cajual imprint back in ’91. Reaching #2 on Billboard’s dance chart in 1992, ‘Brighter Days’ was Cajmere’s breakthrough hit and continues to educate and inspire producers, DJs and dancers to this day.

With artwork lovingly adapted from the original 12”, the record’s ‘North Side’ features a deft Kai Alce edit of the monstrous 10 minute Masters At Work ‘Brighter Days’ remix. Introducing those distinctive skipping, syncopated rhythms later adopted by UK Garage pioneers, Louie’s MAW mix has lost none of its dance-floor impact over the last 25 years. Lurking on the ‘South Side’ you can find the raw, potent ‘Underground Goodies Mix’, a production credited by Rashad and other pioneers as the catalyst for Chicago’s ‘footwork’ movement.

Cajmere feat. Dajae - Brighter Days - Masters At Work Mix (Kai Alce's Edit)

Fonda Rae - Living In Ecstasy (Groove Mix Edit)

Masters At Work Featuring India ‎– Backfired (Joey Negro Club & Dubfired Mixes)

Backfired (Joey Negro Dubfired Mix)

Masters At Work Feat. India - Backfired (Joey Negro Dubfired Mix)

Baby Love

Baby Love - Chord Mix

Frankie Knuckles Featuring Roberta Gilliam - Workout (1992 Vocal Mix)

As members of Steve “Silk” Hurley’s ID Productions (the writing, production and remix team), Chantay Savage and Maurice Joshua had already started building careers behind the scenes by the time they came together on Chantay’s first commercial release, “I Gotta Hold On U.”

Maurice had already taken the industry by storm with his number-one Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart hit "This Is Acid (A New Dance Craze)." Hurley had history with Mo and looked at him as a “little brother.”  Seeing his potential, he really wanted him to become a member of ID Productions.  At the time, Hurley was in high demand as a remixer, so this gave him the opportunity to showcase Maurice and Eric “E-Smoove” Miller on his projects. This trio went on to form the industry’s hottest remix team in the early 90’s.  Maurice went on to become a GRAMMY® winning remixer and all three of them continue to write, produce and remix at a high level today.

Chantay Savage, the daughter of a jazz musician, R&B vocalist, became a member of the ID crew, and her vocal prowess was obvious.  But what most didn’t know was that she was a prolific writer as well.  She teamed up with E-Smoove and Jere McAllister to write and sing the “We Got A Love Thang" demo for consideration on CeCe Peniston’s album.  CeCe loved the song, and with Hurley’s production and arrangement, the rest became history.  When ID inked a distribution deal with RCA Records (and Sony UK), Chantay became their first artist released under the ID/RCA imprint. Chantay’s collaborations with Hurley included the hits,”Betch’all Never Find” and I Will Survive," 2 tunes that not only reached top positions on Billboard’s Dance Charts, but the R&B Charts as well.

This digitally remastered package is a re-release of the original 12” vinyl release, which was previously unavailable. It contains mixes by Maurice Joshua, E-Smoove, and Steve “Silk” Hurley.


Maurice Joshua, Chantay Savage - I Gotta Hold On U (Steve Silk Hurley Silky Scat Dub)

S&S Records, Inc. (and S&S Chicago, Inc.) was established in 2005 by 4-time GRAMMY® nominated producer Steve "Silk" Hurley and global DJ/Producer Shannon "DJ Skip" Syas. Silk and Skip merged Hurley's worldwide commercial success and Syas' strong global following to form S&S Records. S&S Records has accumulated a catalog of over 500 records and album projects from artists such as: Syleena Johnson, CeCe Peniston, Ann Nesby, DJ Skip, Paul Johnson, Kym Sims, Chantay Savage, J.M Silk, Jamie Principle & Steve "Silk" Hurley, just to name a few.

Maurice Joshua, Chantay Savage - I Gotta Hold On U (Steve Silk Hurley Silky Scat Dub)

S&S Chicago Inc