The CombiNations - Cosmic Rain [Selekta Recordings]

The first thing that struck me about this album is that there’s no single defining sound. The tracks are varied stylistically, some of them are difficult to pigeon hole which can only be a positive thing. Only those who are especially entrenched in a particular camp may struggle to come to terms with an album like this, for everyone else it should prove an eye opener. Rather than me rambling on about each of the tracks in turn I’ll try to give you a flavour for what’s in store.

There are deep soulful numbers with and without vocals. There are tracks with ethnic flavours of the Caribbean and Africa. You can expect to find punchier tracks aimed squarely at the dance floor and mellow jazzier vibes complete with dusty beats and double bass. The vocalists employed include Gerideau whose soul drenched voice is a winner for me every time while the different female vocalists employed don’t disappoint either, one in particular sounds a little like Lauren Hill in terms of her delivery.

The musical journey takes you from the downright mellow to the dark and techy with the spectrum in between fully explored. On a personal level, having little knowledge of the artist ahead of time, I was astounded by the quality and diversity on offer and my best advice would be that you check it out for yourself.

(review by Dean Serafini)

Various Artists - House Masters, Bob Sinclar [In The House]

This is the second in the series, following on from the stunning Louie Vega compilation. This time around, Frenchman, Bob Sinclar is profiled on a twin set of CDs which highlight twenty of his finest productions and remixes. First coming to prominence eleven years ago, Sinclar, (real name Chris Le Friant), has demonstrated enormous talent for producing dance music that defies strict definitions in an age when we have become obsessed with labeling our music.

There are obvious floor fillers such as “What A Wonderful World” recorded with Axwell and Ron Carroll, “World Hold On” and “Love Generation which all enjoyed huge commercial success around the world. On the other hand there's“Save Our Soul”, “Champs Elysees Theme” and “My Only Love” which cut it for the purists. Whatever your bag, Sinclar has something for you: for me the cream of the crop has to be “Outro Lugar” which covers Stevie Wonder's classic “Another Star” with the utmost aplomb.

So what else is left to say other than it's out on November 3rd and go get yourself a copy – you're in for a treat!

(review by Dean Serafini)

Various Artists - Deepy Grooves Vol One [Gotta Keep Faith] 

Here's a compilation that showcases all that is good about this record label. There's an unbelievable diversity with the selection of tracks and certainly something to suit many tastes. Randy Brusetto gets things underway with the brassy "Naked Melody", Lem Springsteen of Mood II Swing fame provides "Reach 4 U" which features the voice of Tara J atop the trademark atmospheric vibes and stong bass that have become his signature over the years. DJ Nermin's "Head Up High" is a mellow rhodes infused track with the sweet vocals of Ayaah. Next up is a piano fuelled track with latin rhythms from Jeremias Santago that reminds me of Phase II's "Reachin' from way back. As we reach the halfway stage the god music just keeps on coming courtesy of DNY ft Tony Loretto who deliver an italo house monster. "Night in NYC" has pianos and rhodes to tickle your fancy and bass and rhthms to make you move.  Steve Paradise drops in "Let's Dance" which has a Deepswing kind of flavour and a seriously funky bassline. Next up " Transformed" is a virtual train ride with chugging beats, swirling organs and spoken vocals from Joseph ft Daniel. Dual II's "Barcelona follows with a striking synth into and some hot spanish guitars. There's two to go and Joey's "Rise" kicks off with a full minute of drums before the synths kick in to take you on an atmospheric journey into the depths.  The final track is "Eye Soul" from Krispaglia which has more kick-ass drums, organs and punchy synths guaranteed to rock the main room.  This is an outstanding collection of tracks from a label that keeps unearthing gems time after time. With all the predicatble compilations that fill the shelves of the record stores these days, here's something for the true house music lover.

You can listen to each of the tracks individually at Traxsource with the whole package costing a mere $8, or if you prefer, you can click here to listen to a ten minute mix showcasing the music.

(review by Dean Serafini)

Cynthia Layne - Beautiful Soul [Owl Studios]

Now here’s an album from a lady that knows how to sing, crafted lovingly by a production team that clearly understand their trade. There’s a fusion of styles that crosses genres with the strongest influences being soul, jazz and R’n’B. When listening to this for the first time, I tried to assess it on two fronts: as a DJ, I was looking for one thing whilst as a listener in the home, office or car I was looking for something else.

The first thing that struck me was a vibe that reminded me of the Acid Jazz label, and, in particular, Brand New Heavies. The combination of mid tempo rhythms and live instrumentation provide an authentic soulful vehicle for Cynthia’s smooth voice. Like all good albums there’s a balance of styles between tracks designed to get your feet moving and haunting down-tempo ballads. Further diversity means that tracks like “Kings & Queens”, “Letting You Go” and “Mystery” tread the acid jazz style I referred to earlier while “Will U Be There” and Two and One”, both written by Reggie Bishop, would cut it for the soulful house heads out there. “Pimp Talk” just oozes soul with a simple R’n’B bassline and gentle guitars. The title track’s laid back jazz vibe oozes class with the sultry sax and the subtle kind of drumming that gets the head nodding gently. “Funny” veers off a little with a rhythm that leans towards a gentle semi-reggae vibe while the atmospheric strings, sax and vocals pull you closer.

I reckon this is just about the complete package, there’s music to dance to, music to tap your toes to at the bar, music to chill to and music to draw on your emotions. The way that the tracks are constructed also leaves you in no doubt that it will translate very nicely to a live environment which I personally find reassuring in today’s digitally dominated industry. This is highly recommended!

(review by Dean Serafini)