This latest batch of selections for ParadiseULTD.com became really unwieldy. At over two hours long, so many tracks got shelved, and left off the mix before the set had to be wrapped up at that 120 minute mark.
Why? There’s too much music out there! And musically it’s a funny time. Half of the selections reflect summer feelings that we were still catching as we started making selections starting in late August, while others certainly bring the fall chill. First, I offer that almost every month, three New York City based record labels dominate our choices – that being Razor N Tape, Bastard Jazz, and Soul Clap Records (and their sister labels, Crew Love Records, and Wolf + Lamb). So these three will always make the cut with plenty of selections …
Razor N Tape always has amazing disco edits and recently we find them serving up a new series of remixes of classic jams. This month they revisit Mr V’s early 2000s house anthem “Something With Jazz”. One of our favorite artists, Session Victim, touches Mr. V with a light soul groove, but we also loved the Planty Herbs which puts a boogie funk spin on the jam. So both takes are in the selections mix this go around.
Bastard Jazz, well, they have new stunning new releases from artists Electric Wire Hustle and Dead Horse Beats but because the jams were on the slower side and saved for the end of the mix, they got cut out. Next time! And I’m sure by our next ParadiseULTD mix set, they will have 4 more jams for us to include, like their latest from B Bravo.
Soul Clap Records is an obvious label choice for each ParadiseULTD mix set, as we, FSQ, are signed to the label but this go around there are too many choice cuts from Soul Clap and their sister labels. FSQ took a spin on Nick Monaco’s latest release here for Crew Love records, “Physical Therapy” and also we included Monaco’s joint work with our Soul Clap Records label mate David Marston, who together are known as the project, Island Life.
Island Life’s 2nd single “Pussy” is in the mix along with their Caribbean infused Island Life take on label mate Midnight Magic’s amazing funk stomper “I Got a Feeling”, also Soul Clap Records. Let’s Play House record label boss Jacques Renault turns in a disco dub of the same track so we also had to slate it into the mix.
FSQ had a hand in producing 4 of the tracks on the new Soul Clap self titled album out now via Crew Love Records, so we gave the album a lot of shine here, including a gut wrenching honest vocal track from the group’s Charles Levine, which closes out the mix set.
Just when you think you can’t get enough of the Crew Love team, check out two exclusives from their subscription service. One is a candle lit evening type of sexy slice of house called “Gemini Love” featuring Baby Prince from Wolf + Lamb and Nick Monaco, the second is our own FSQ 1980s referencing track “Shades of Yello”. Star Creature Universal Vibrations is a new record label discovery for us – two jams in here – one from the ever funky Shiro Schwarz, plus a brand new act, Wings of Sunshine. We will be keeping a close eye on Star Creature going forward.
Our FSQ track “Shaking My Damn Head” recently got featured on Midnight Riot Records, a UK based label that certainly has a ton of regular output, with most all of it falling on the funky side of the tracks. Find several tracks in this mix from the label’s recent “Balearic Headspace” compilation, and these tend to reflect the summer side of this October selections mix.
Meanwhile, Amp Fiddler is also with Midnight Riot Records and here he does a retake on a George Clinton track; the result being called “Funk is Here to Stay”. Our favorite remix guru Inkswel is also in here on this cut. The original George Clinton track ironically was co-written by FSQ member, Sa’d “The Hourchild” Ali.
With FSQ having our own releases soon on both Secret Life Music and Pole Position Recordings, we offer a few new selections from these labels, though our choices stay poolside / beach focused.
Meanwhile in the latter half of this 2 hour work, we bring you more intense forward thinking house sounds from Ben Gomori, Guy Gerber, Tom Trago, Kornel Kovacs, and Session Victim. The arrangement refocuses the vibe of this October 2016 ParadiseULTD mix from end of summer feelings towards crisper temperatures and more varied fall colors.
Enjoy and the next mix is coming very soon because we left so many tracks off of this 2 hours long mix opus.
