We're firmly back in action this week welcoming people ready to take the beginning of this new year by storm. Stateside, with Louie Vega (see Interview section) ready to grace us with a couple of big gigs as a support to the much awaited Elements Of Life Extensions album release. Regarding our current Single Of The Week, our full props go to another hot NYC producer - Marlon D – with "Affection", the first cut to be taken from his debut-LP due to hit the streets in 2 months. As for what concerns IDMW.Com, we're currently putting shapes to our 2.0 version, ready to welcome you on a much powerful server within a few days, meanwhile MFSB drops the latest instalment of his In Da Mix column…

ISSUE #80

IN DA MIX (HOUSE, GARAGE & OTHER ILLICIT GROOVES)

Wassup buddies ? Quite a while without our usual rendez-vous. This giving us the opportunity to have a look back (at the ultimate 2004 releases) and forth (with a drop of exciting current and forthcoming ones).

Another bunch of goodies around indeed from our champions here on IDMW.Com, starting with Louie Vega (our Interview of the week) and his EOL cohorts with the much awaited release of their Extensions LP (our Album of the Month) fuelled with ***** grooves with the help of subsequent people like Joe Claussell, Glenn Underground and Frankie Feliciano to name but a very… phew (Vega Records). And if this wasn't enuff, the same people come with the unreleased remixes of "Africa/Brazil" on some 12" aside. A cut retouched by German electro junky Isolée whose spacey effects should find their niche on François K.'s Monday selections at NYC Cielo. Highly recommended for those into songs with some soulful meaning" is the "Spread Love" project put together by Jersey producer Shaheer Williams, receiving the remix treatment by the likes of… Louie Vega and the vocal contributions by Kenny Bobien and one time Sounds Of Blackness co-lead singer Ann Nesby. Meanwhile, Mr V gets to the superior gear with 2 new releases at the same time. The first being "Jus Dance" spreading some spoken words over a phonky groove as retouched by Sole Channel before exploring some more spacey territory on the aptly called Cosmic Ritual Dub version (Vega Records). The second, on his co-owned Sole Channel label having Miss Patty & Ben Kohn featured on "Un Dia Bonito" dubbed with the killing "Somethin' Wit' Jazz" on the other side.

Gotta admit that I've been slightly disappointed while having a listen to the Blaze's "Found Love" double-pack of remixes as none of them reached the brilliance of the original version of this bossa influenced jewel being there transformed into some M.O.R. 4 to da floor recipee by the likes of Fanatix or into a quite expectable jazzy latinesque affair by Kiko Navarro (West End) And, as a matter of fact, although just being offered the opportunity to listen to the X-Mas gift mp3 version of it, I feel very much more excited about the forthcoming Stephanie Cooke's newie called "Love Will Always Find A Way" with its lush latin influenced arrangements on the same label.

We was expecting to be sent a copy of that famous "Back To The Raw" seing Kerri Chandler making his debut on DJ Deep's Deeply Rooted House label. Could it be that we've been f**** by the postman as it's unfortunately often the case when approaching the X-Mas period ? Well, we'll never know, but as a result I had to grab a copy of it at some record shop due to its unmissable content seing the Ka-os man at its absolute best. This 2005 could well be the year of his pals. In other words, Jerome Sydenham and Dennis Ferrer whose classic "Sandcastles" gets revamped by Pete Heller for its release on Defected. The 2 guys are also responsible of the "DJ Tools vol.5" on Ibadan and more particularly the spacey "Road To Calabar" dropping minimal atmospheric electro dubby F-X over some rough African based beat. Meanwhile the latest is currently working on his forthcoming debut-LP said to appear some time this year.

Another of those faces we love here on IDMW.Com is Quentin Harris we've had the chance to have a chat with right before his staying in UK at the end of last year. Well, our man looks like having another bag of goodies ready to please us incl. his current reworks of Da Mooch's "Love Is Everything" on Jellybean Soul, but also the killing "Whatever" that he has totally transformed for R&B highlight Jill Scott, currently on short display on NYC Shelter club website (clubshelter.com). Not to mention his reworks of Monique Bingham's newie "You Can't Have New York" due to appear any time now onthe label of the name. On Shelter as well, I would also suggest you to have a careful listen to Antonio Ocasio's "Shianne" featuring Annette Taylor. A strong mixture of latin influenced percussions over a deep piano/keys based travel where the singer's performance finds the perfect niche. We pursue our travel within that same Shelter office while having a look to their Restricted Area subsidiary label and another absolute marvel by the likes of US songstress Patti LaBelle having "More Than Material" released earlier as a part of her Timeless Journey album reconstructed by Darryl James & Fred McFarlane. And what an effort they achieved, transforming what was originally a ballad into a top class jazzy/phonk (and of course… timeless) house groove, making this amongst my absolute favourites of the moment.

Another purveyor of the finest we should hear about this year is Underground Collective activist Marlon D ready to drop his debut-LP next March on Jellybean Soul the first offshot being the devastating "Affection" (our Single Of The Week) with the vocal assistance of J.R. Morrison over those typical lush key arrangements (Jellybean Soul).

You may have missed DJ Spen featuring Vonita White's "My Devotion" released a couple of weeks ago on … Devotion. If so, we would kindly suggest you to check this soulful cut as it's really classy. Meanwhile Kenny Bobien is the next one to make his appearance on this San Fran label with "Share" and a release party to be held tomorrow nite (01/14) at DNA (see our diary for more info). In the mean time, SuSu Bobien gives her vocal contribution on Holland Tunnel Project's "U Gotta Believe" with the help of Booker T doin' the remix and the result should also feed the appetites of those in love with garagey vibes (Xtra Large Records). The ultra sensuous Stengun's "Big Fun" featuring Christina T completing the whole with a whole range of remixes by the likes of Northern Europe activists from Danish producer Morten Trust to Finnish duo Minimen, not to mention Ceremony Records honcho Dave Storm (Ceremony)

On a more in yer face kinda tip is Those Guys' new cut called "I Walk Alone" not that far away from Ron Carroll's previous works on some chunky beats. In search of those instant floorfillerz ? Defected label has once more what it takes, with the successive releases of the classic Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer's "Sandcastles" as mentioned earlier with a Pete Heller rework. Meanwhile Derrick May's "Strings Of Life" as resurrected by Birmingham duet Soul Central get a new life, now having a vocal version with the help of US diva Kathy Brown which should be available everywhere on its commercial release version by the time we speak, incl. the famous Danny Krivit's Edit released in 2003.

Another classic of the likes being revamped is Candi Staton's "You Got The Love" by UK reviewer/producer Lewis Dene under his Solitaire guise and no doubt as this should also reach the hearts of those into post disco vibes as the ones of those feeling a bit a nostalgia as soon as it hits the streets within a one moth period time (suSU). Deepseenyc co-resident E-Man drops his spoken words on the much syncopated "A New Reality" by Mark Knight featuring MTV on 1trax. label. A slightly more clubby cut driven by some techy synth line.

Having made its reputation on the basis of compilation releases so far, UK label Seamless Recordings has ended up releasing its 2 first 12 inches. Doing the headlines on the Seamless Sampler Pt.1 Soularis delivers a joyful chunky tune called "Free Way" with vocal contribution from Yvonne Shelton dubbed with an abstract groove not that bad although sounding a bit like a sort of déjà vu. Meanwhile Ross Couch shares the duties on the Sampler#2 of the likes with Astro. The first purveying an atmosopheric jazzy groove full of aerial synth lines around some repetitive vocal hook. The second, on the same kind of abstract vein. Both melodic, although not enough identifiable for my tastes. .

As promised by GoGo Music label honcho Ralf Gum, as ready to be done next month by Raw Artistic Soul with the official release of their new 4 tracker called "One Cultural Groove EP", melting Afro, latin, soul, funk jazz vibes as shown on "Kana" with a lot a subtlety. If into sunny vibes, I then would advice you to drop a careful listen to Bah Samba's long awaited return with a new album to be released at the end of next month on BKO Productions, the first cut of which being "Portuguese Love" brilliantly remixed by Phil Asher. An infectious bossa based house construction delivering a sort of cinematic retro feel with ideally placed breakdowns, making this a pure slice of beauty.

Quite a while without hearing about Frankie Valentine. Not only a true talent hailing out of UK but also one of the smartest faces of the scene which we'll get you updated with very soon. Well the reason mentioning his name is because of him having quite a cool cut or shall I say the famous unreleased remix of "Midnite Sun" on his typical aerial approach as a B-side to a Jon Cutler Remix of some other cut by Rekawa Sound from their Retrospective Experience vol.1 EP. The latest being a piece of choice, not that far away from some Ron Trent's works, for the atmospheric abstract headz (Rekawa). Although receiving the remixing treatment of Marc Mac under his Nu Era guise on the A-Side, gotta say that I very much prefer Bruno E's own re-vision of his "Dado" track maintaining its original latin jazz big band feel over some kinda energetic beats (Either Reocrds).

Franck Roger pursues his search for the Graal with his Earthrumental EP on his own Real Tone label. A 2 tracker exploring the atmospheric phonky side of the things over some latin percussions on the A side ("You") before delivering more minimal Afro fused vibes on the B-side ("Chawo"). Other Froggies whose works deserve attention is the pair consisting of Greg Gauthier and Tony L delivering another subtle remix of theirs on the jazzy "Shy" for Soul Vigilantes featuring Jocelyn Medina over some friendly jazzy groove in the true vein of things you might hear on a Danny Krivit's selection (Love Monk).

If a regular to our site since almost day 1, you may then remember us talking about a guy called Franck Biyong who, as a matter of fact opened this section with a 7inch called "We Shall Overcome". Well, the good news is that our man is back again in full effect and this time with a 12" called "Power Brain" featuring Wunmi. What we have here are once again typical African jams from the plaintive "All Souls Day" to the title track itself delivered in 3 different versions ; our favourite being the Hi perspective remix over some lascive beat. With our deepest props to go to the Hot Casa Records Paris based-label for putting their very last dimes into such an effort. R.E.S.P.E.C.T. ! MFSB

IDM TENNERZ

PATTI LABELLE More Than Material – DFA Vocal Shelter Mix (Restricted Area)

MARLON D featuring J.R. MORRISON Affection – Vocal Mix (Jellybean Soul)

JILL SCOTT Whatever – Quentin Harris Mix (CD-R)

JEROME SYDENHAM & DENNIS FERRER Road To Calabar – Main Mix (Ibadan)

ANTONIO OCASIO featuring ANNETTE TAYLOR Life's A Masterpiece (Shelter)

STEPHANIE COOKE Love Will Always Find A Way (West End/advance)

BAH SAMBA Portugese Love – Phil Asher Restless Soul Mix (BKO Productions/advance)

KENNY BOBIEN featuring ANN NESBY Spread Love (Soul Groove)

RAW ARTISTIC SOUL featuring LAYGWAN SHARKIE Kana – Main Mix (GoGo Music/advance)

SOUL CENTRAL featuring KATHY BROWN Strings Of Life (Stronger On My Own (Defected)