Latrice Barnett is just what House music needs right now. Her debut album Illuminate is a collection that showcases her brilliant and emotional songwriting, something that has been sorely missing in House music for many years. While it is common knowledge that House came from Disco, its R&B roots have also become more prevalent as of late. With artists such as Lisa Shaw and Tortured Soul placing thoughtful lyrics and emotional vocal performances at the forefront, a certain timeless quality is becoming present once again in House music.

Latrice’s young ears were influenced the Funk, Soul and Disco that her parents listened to; groups such as Earth Wind and Fire, Tower of Power and Santana. So much was she a sponge for music that she found herself in trouble as a mere Preschooler for singing Donna Summer’s amorous “Love To Love You Baby”. “That’s one of my earliest memories; my mom trying to keep a straight face while the Pastor chewed her out,” she fondly remembers. “I had no idea. I just said ‘that’s how the song goes.’

When she was finally old enough to buy music with her own money, her first purchase was Chaka Kahn’s “I Feel For You,” a record she still describes as phenomenal and influential.

While Latrice was hooked on singing from the age of eight, she spent more time learning to play instruments like the saxophone and the bass. It wasn’t until college when she traveled to France as an exchange student that she made a return to singing. A friend jokingly introduced Latrice as a famous singer from the United States to several people at a party, which resulted in an invite to join a local band. “Since then, I haven’t been able to stop,” Latrice says.

Her roots as an R&B/Soul singer with San Francisco group Five Point Plan made Latrice a logical fit for the many House producers she would come to work with, particularly Kaskade and Jay-J with whom her output has been the greatest.

If you grew up listening to Disco and Italian Disco [of the late 1970s], there’s no way you couldn’t make that logical leap,” Barnett says of the strong connections between House music and R&B, Funk and Soul. “It’s unfathomable not to love House music.”

Though her voice naturally lends itself to the smooth, organic musicality of West Coast Deep House, making the switch from R&B to House was not an easy choice for Latrice. She credits Jay-J as a teacher, support system and, most importantly, a musical soul mate.

“He’s had a lot of faith in me over the years,” she says of Jay-J. “I came from a jazz and R&B arena and you need somebody to really believe in you when you’re shifting genres. He was always someone I respected immensely and I am really blessed that our paths crossed. I think we’re musical siblings, we certainly act like it.”`

Latrice found another kindred musical spirit in Kaskade.  In fact it was multiple recording sessions with Kaskade that sparked the initial idea for Latrice to record a full-length album. “We started out recording a bunch of songs for Kaskade,” she recalls. “Then he called me back and since we had gelled we did a few more tracks. It was synergistic connection; we’re on the same wavelength. He kept calling me to do more tracks and it seemed like a natural coalescence [to make an album], especially since Jay-J and I were constantly in production together.

”The production trademarks of Jay-J and Kaskade are firmly stamped throughout Illuminate’s fifteen tracks. The title track kicks off with a filtered guitar track reminiscent of previous Kaskade productions, while “Celebrate” features a lush bed of gentle keyboards.  “Make My Heart” is full of catchy vocal hooks which, along with a bouncy bassline and solid, driving beats, making it a perfect for this summer’s dance floors.

While Latrice’s voice can rock a dance floor, there is just as much power in Illuminate’s mellow, downtempo selections, such as the ethereal and atmospheric “Take it From Here” or the muted trumpet and gentle, trip-hop beat of “Spirits,” a mesmerizing song about past, present and future connections to family.

Illuminate traces a journey through relationships and emotions; from the beginning of a new love, when a relationship is new and exciting, to the end of the relationship and the thoughts and reflections that often occupy the mind.

“I’m constantly amazed by human interaction,” Latrice states, “whether it’s romantic or non-romantic, between siblings or relatives or strangers or friends. I guess that’s what really comes out in the material I choose to perform.”

Her musical resume has been filled out with touring stints with established groups such as Galactic and Handsome Boy Modeling School. These projects have afforded her musical growth and diversity, particularly when she steps away from the microphone and into other roles.

“When I was touring with Handsome Boy I was playing bass, I wasn’t doing much singing at all and that was a really interesting experience,” she says. “Being on the side and trying to hold down the groove was a whole new learning experience. It made me appreciate the idea of being the groove. I learned how to interact with the crowd on a different level; I got to focus more on physical expressions and body language which can only help when I do have a microphone in front of me.

”Latrice’s performances, on record and live on stage, are powerful and engaging; it was her performance at last year’s Winter Music Conference in Miami that earned her a deal with Ultra Records. She also recalls a memorable performance from 2004 at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, when she was fronting New Orleans funk band Galactic.

“The time that we were slotted to play, a storm had broken out. Finally when there was a break in the storm we went on. So I’m singing and getting the crowd going and one of the songs had a lyric ‘Touch me and you will be struck by lighting.’ The second time I sang that line, at that very moment, lightning cracked overhead and I saw 35,000 heads look up, and then look back at me and they all stated screaming with their hands in the air. It was an amazing, cosmic moment.”

Latrice doesn’t need to be a screaming Diva to stand out in the House world. In fact it is her sultry and often-understated vocal delivery that will stay burned in your mind and your ears. These qualities are the building blocks for what has already been a fruitful career, and promises to be a breath of fresh air for House music.

“I think there are a few people that are really opening doors to steer House music away from being entirely DJ-centered,” Latrice says of Illuminate’s role in the modern story of House music.  “I think the vocalist is the primary storyteller. There are a number of people right now releasing vocal house records, such as Lisa Shaw, and I think we’re trying to shift it from artists simply being featured on DJ albums to focusing on the artists who are helping creating the scene. It’s been awhile since the focus on the industry has been on actual singers and musicians.”

Words and interview by Alex R. Mayer.  Thanks to Latrice for taking the time to speak with us and to Alexandra Greenberg at MSO PR for arranging the interview.  More information on Latrice’s album Illuminate and live events can be found at