Many of you are those interested in extensive reviews. Long time IDMW.com partner/friend, Zurich-based Spiritofhouse.com head Michael Fossati comes along with his weekly selection of ultimate goodies. Gruezi Mein Herr !

The pieces of music thereafter are taken from the weekly Fresh Grooves mix series as conceived by Michael Fossati.

All your promos to be sent to :

Michael Fossati P.O. Box 9403 – CH 8036 ZÜRICH (SCHWEIZ)

Contact : michael.fossati@spiritofhouse.com

Picks Of The Week

THE BACKROOM featuring KIMARA LOVELACE "Here I Am" (Soul Groove)

"Here I Am" is one of those songs that has a melody that won't get out of your heard for a long, long time to come, courtesy of the Backroom Productions team. The music is based around an irresistible groove and features a delightful George Benson like guitar, warm melodic chords and sweet percussion, creating an infectious vibe. Add the wonderful and passionate vocal performance by Kimara Lovelace, and you've got a soulful and timeless garage production, perfect for the summer season ahead.

WMC Preview: MICHELLE WEEKS "Be Thankful" (Purple Music/test)

In 2002, Jamie Lewis and his Purple Music family brought us "The Light", in 2005 they bring us "Be Thankful". It has the same energy that made "The Light" one of the standout tunes three years ago, with Michelle Weeks proving why she is undoubtly one of house music greatest. It's the irresistible piano together with the unmistakable vocal that are layed over a fiercely stormming groove on this track that will conquer the attention of everyone who hear this track. Simply irresistible.

WMC Preview: NIKOS featuring NITA "Let's Stay Together" (Under My Skin Records CD Promo)

For his latest release on Under My Skin, DJ/producer Nikos has choosen to do a cover version of one of his all time favorite songs: "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green, a timeless soul classic. With the help of a gifted group of musicians who provide the live instrumentation including sax, flute, bass, drums and percussion, this new interpretation brings the soul directly to the dancefloors with its smooth vibe and an electrifying vocal performance by Nita Hutton whose voice is soulful and breezy, giving the song an inspirational and passionate feeling.

WMC Preview: PATRICK GREEN featuring NIMBA BURR "Qua Tanka" - Ruff Original Mix (CD Promo)

Nimba Burr comes from Nimba country, Liberia (West Africa) and has been in the music business for over thirty years. DJ and producer Patrick Green is behind her latest offering "Qua Tanka", a powerful yet soulful produdction on an afro-house vibe featuring a lovely instrumentation including an oustanding saxophone solo, lovely guitar and smooth percussion, with Burr providing a passionate vocal performance.

WMC Preview: SOUL TEMPO featuring LAFAYETTE PARKER "Small Minds" (Philosophie Music/CD Promo)

With "Small Minds", Philosophie Music do have a true gem in their hands that they'll be promoting in Miami at the Winter Music Conference. This is pure soulful heaven on a laidback tip with a percussively bumpin' groove leading the way for the jazzy piano and warm melodies, with a sweet and sexy vocal performance rounding it off.

WMC Preview: GLEN LEWIS featuring MJOJO AND BONGANI "Life Everlasting" - Dennis Ferrer Remixes (Funk-La-Planet/Promo)

Dennis Ferrer on remix duty, and what bangin' mixes he unleashes here that are driven by deeply stormin' beats and smooth percussion before the orchestral keys and phat drums come in, with sweet choruses and vocals to follow. Simply outstanding and irresistible, as these mixes will take you onto a journey into deep and soulful dance music. 

WMC Preview: BLVD EAST & LOUIE GORBEA featuring K.T. BROOKS "Child Of Mine" (CD Promo)/ "Luv 4 Money" (CD Promo)

Blvd East and Louie Gorbea team up for two wonderful productions. First up is "Child Of Mine" featuring the soulful voice of K.T. Brooks over a smoothly stompin' groove, topped with a jazzy organ ride and melodic chords. K.T. Brooks turns out a marvellous and inspirational vocal coming deep from his heart. "Luv 4 money" is based on a smooth tribal-ish groove full of percussive elements and features a female rap and male vocal together with jazzy keys to create an irresistible feeling.

WMC Preview: SIR PIERS & LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES featuring SHAUN ESCOFFERY "She's Gone Away" (Curious/Promo)

Sir Piers teams up with Los Amigos Invisibles and Shawn Escoffery for "She's Gone Away", a beautiful song written by Piers, that features touches of the unmistakable South American rhythms, backing chants from Los Amigos Invisibles and smooth vocals courtesy of Shaun Escoffery. As we're used from releases on Curious Records, "She's Gone Away" features a great instrumentation giving the song a real live vibe.

WMC Preview: DAWN TALLMAN "You Are Why" (Slaag/CD Promo)

"You Are Why" is the latest production from Moise 'Big Moses' Laporte, with Stephanie Cooke providing the backing vocals together with Dawn Tallman. It is pure New Jersey garage music on an uplifting tip with warm melodic keys over a bumpin' groove. Ron Carroll provides the remixes, turning the song into a serious stomper with spheric keys and a wicked sax hook.

WMC Preview: TY BLACK "What Goes Around Comes Around" - Ruff Demo Mix (CD-R)

After their successfull collaboration on "Never Be Another Love", Stacey Mallory and singer Ty Black team up for the follow up "What Goes Around Comes Around". It's all about the soulful vibes here, with a smoothly stompin' groove added with melodic chords, jazzy piano line and sweet percussion creating the base for a marvellous vocal performance by Ty Black.

WMC Preview: HALO featuring ATWATER & Mr. V. "Change" (Large Records/CD Promo)

Large Records going deep on this release with DJ Halo and Mr. V. teaming up for "Change", a classic production with sensual keys and rhythmic spoken words over deeply storming beats, that together with the jazzy piano give the song a relentless vibe on an underground tip.

WMC Preview: GEORGE MENA & FRANKE ESTEVEZ featuring Maxine Inniss "Standing Strong (Without U)" (Fuzion/CD Promo)

With "Forever And A Day" by Tabia just been released on Jellybean Soul, George Mena and Franke Estevez don't rest and just started their new label Fuzion Records. "Standing Strong (without U)" will be their first release on the label and features an uplifting vocal performance by Maxine Inniss (you'll remember her from "I Appreciate" on Jellybean Soul) together with a jazzy piano, melodic keys and percussion, all layed over a powerful and fierce groove that keeps the song driving. The full release will feature a variation of mixes including instrumental and dubs.

WMC Preview: KIMARA LOVELACE "Just A Dream" (Home Records/CD Promo)

I'm not sure if this one is gonna get promoted in Miami or not, but this production by Fanatix definitely needs to be heard. Kimara Lovelace is in everybody’s mind with her current smash "Here I Am" produced by BackRoom Productions (out on SoulGroove Records), and "Just A Dream" will follow this success by all means. The phat drums and sharp beats of the track will kill any dancefloors, and those wicked, spaced-out keys intensify the irresistible feeeling of the song, not to forget to mention the powerful yet soulful vocal performance by Kimara Lovelace that make this a winner.

WMC Preview: VARIOUS "Rising Above The Fog" - Timmy Richardson Remix (CD-R)

From the creative mind of New York City's Timmy Richardson comes this lovely reworking of the Murk classic that gets played back-to-back here with another song (can you figure out the name of it?) that gives it a jazzy edge by keeping the rawness of the original alive.

 WMC Preview: VARIOUS "Miami 2005 Sampler" (Soulfuric CD Promo)

SoulFuric have been unstoppable in 2005 so far, and with this sampler (soon to be released spread over two 12") things look to get even stronger. The Masterbuilders make their debut on Soulfuric with "Blend", an uplifting production on a powerful yet soulful tip that is spreading a laidback jazzy vibe with smooth vocals, here coming your way in a nice Jazz'N'Groove reworking. "Dancando Comigo" by La Fiesta Sound System is a fusion of house with latin elements and features a lovely horn line and sweet female vocals over a driving groove, making this a choice for peak time play. Cricco Castelli is on board with "La Casa Del Jazz", a track destined for either the lounge or the dancefloor with its combination of a fierce groove with a jazzy rhodes and eclectic horns - jazz-house the way it can rock even the biggest dancefloors. Lastly, we see the return of Soulmagic (aka Morten Trust) with "Come On Come On", a bubbling track packed to the limit with synth stabs, raw funkiness and a spoken word vocal. Like its predecessor "Yah yah", this will become an instant club hit.

WMC Preview: TIGER STRIPES featuring SIMONE MORENO "Vem Sambar" - Richard Earnshaw Remix (Look-At-You/CD Promo)

With the original mixes already causing a major stir and set to rock at the Winter Music Conference, there is a brand new Richard Earnsahw remix exclusively available online at Traxsource (no vinyls will be pressed). Richard Earnshaw uses kicking drums and a smooth groove to create a more laidback interpreation that keeps the latinesque feeling alive.

WMC Preview: MILK & SUGAR "Has Your Man Got Soul" (Milk'N'Sugar/CD Promo)

Out of Germany comes this lovely production by Milk & Sugar that is full of funky flava, bringing back the good old days of disco dancefloor madness. The bassline is funky as hell, with the strings and keys reminiscent of the past disco area, and the female vocals add a soulful touch to it.

WMC Preview: THE LAYABOUTS & JEM SEEDS featuring Yannis "Sunshine" (Healthy/CD Promo)

Right in time for Miami, The Layabouts & Jem Seeds present their latest production "Sunshine" featuring singer Yannis. This song is perfect for the coming summer season with its warm groove and melodic keys, enhanced by a funky bassline and guitar hook, with Yannis providing an uplifting vocal performance.

WMC Preview: SUENO SOUL featuring RAYMOND SAINT-VILLE "You Don't Know What Love Is" - Robert Hayes Remix (Newlite/ CD Promo)

Sueno Soul have a busy year ahead (look out for a june release of their "Tempo Da Solo" on Stealth Records with a brand new Dennis Ferrer remix included). "You Don't Know What Love Is" featuring the sweet and soulful voice of Raymond Saint-Ville will soon be released including this Robert Hayes remix that comes with a soulfully stompin' groove and melodic keys, that give the song a laidback vibe while keeping it powerful.

 ANTHONY NICHOLSON "Dirty Soul" (TrackMode)

"Dirty Soul" is a trippy and sunny deep house production by Anthony Nicholson that features a full band bringing live vocals, bass, guitar and keys. "Diry Soul" is a blissful jam on a mellow and laidback tip featuring a wonderful arrangement and old school touches.

 VARIOUS "Soulshine Sampler 2005 EP Part 1" / "Soulshine Sampler 2005 EP Part 2" (SoulShine)

After their move to New York, SoulShine Records present two double-sider giving you a tast of what to expect from the label over the coming weeks and months. Part one kicks off with "Love Won't Give Up" by the legendary Kenny Bobien who provides another incomparable vocal performance over a smooth groove that comes complete with an acoustic guitar giving the song a sweet vibe. Turn it over for "Spread Love" by Chris Dockins, a lovely piece of jazzed-up house with a serious R&B styled vocal. On part two, Philadelphia's own Joillet delivers an incredible vocal performance over a laidback, deeply rumblin' groove on "Rise" that comes with lovely melodies, while on the flip is "We Need Change" by Jay who delivers a heartfelt vocal, coming with punchy beats, harmonic keys and a jazzy piano line.

SNOOP DOGG featuring PHARELL "Let's Get Blown" (Headz)

Sier Piers and company turn their attention to Snoop Dogg’s current smash hit and turn it into a funky house jam with a swinging four-to-the-floor groove that reconstitutes the G-funk vibes from the original. While the 'Main Mix' features the full rap, the dub concentrates on the groove and sticks to Pharrell's chorus.

BLACKJOY "Moustache" (Art of Disco/Yellow)

On their way to bring grooves and vibes from the past days onto today’s dancefloor, the Yellow offshot Art of Disco make a stop in the late 70's and turn out this two track release featuring "Moustache" and "La stache", both being on a hypnotic, yet even a little psychadelic, funk-disco tip.

VARIOUS "Soulfuric Vaults Vol. 1" (Soulfuric Records 12")

Soulfuric have grabbed into their bag of unreleased goodies and put out a hot three tracker (with more mixes exclusively available online at Traxsource). Kicking things off is the Groove Junkies edit of "A Mystical Journey" by Galaxy People that features the vocal from Donna Allen's "He Is The Joy". On the flip is a cool edit of Orange Muse's "Keep The Funk Alive" by Andy Holder, giving the track new life on the dancefloors with phat beats and big builds and breaks. Rounding off is the MoD remix of "Power Of Music" by Bongoloverz, taking the track deeper with warm and jazzy keys.

KARIZMA featuring DJ SPEN "4 The Love" (CodeRed)

Baltimore's hitmaking duo Karizma & DJ Spen are back together on "4 The Love", a powerful production that might become an anthem with its tight beats that are laid down behind a spoken word vocal, deeply rumblin' bassline and spheric keys. The dub is stripped down, letting the percussive elements dominate the track.