From Rivera's Groove Box #294: DJ Sotofett Feat. Madteo - There's Gotta Be A Way (Underground Mix)

15 minutes of the same loop, but the monologue delivered by Madteo makes the track worth a deeper listen. Very clever. 

From Rivera's Groove Box #293: Rick Wade - I Feel Good

Recently Rick Wade asked on 'The worst techno memes ever' Facebook group page 'who the fu%k is this Solomun guy I keep hearing about, is he even a real techno DJ?'. And to be honest, I also never heard of Solomun before I joined that group. Thanks to the exploits of this group, I now know Solomun is the uncrowned king of throwing afterparties in villas and mansions for rich spoiled people - parties I'll probably never get into the guestlist. But do I even want to? Throwing aside his hypnotizing awesome dad dance moves, I'm not a particular fan of his rather odd track selections. He plays everything from pop house hits from the past, trance with reduced pitch tempos, the dullest progressive, minimal and techno... and sometimes throwing in a pinch of actually really great tracks. So yes, I think it's true what they say about him - he is the Beatport Top 100 chart personified. But I love Rick Wade, he is a very humble guy.

From Rivera's Groove Box #292: The Connection Machine - Echoes From Tau Ceti

Deep cosmic vibes in this mid 90s techno track from the cult U-Trax label. The 'U' in U-Trax stands for Utrecht, Netherlands - since most of the talent on the label was based there or near. 'Trax' is of course a nod to the legendarty Chicago house label. The Connection machine is Jeroen Brandjes and Natasja Hagemeier. What I like the most in this track is the lovely synthesized saxophone melodies.

From Rivera's Groove Box #291: The Minimum Wage Bros - Enough 4

This one goes out to all my minimum wage bros all over the world who struggle to buy last minute Christmas presents for their loved ones. An early Terrence Parker production - quality Detroit house.

From Rivera's Groove Box #290: Royal House - Dirty Beats

No one can match the mad house beats of Todd Terry. He really mastered the E-mu SP1200 sampler and used it heavily in his early productions. This drum beats track is a perfect example of it.

From Rivera's Groove Box #289: Wax - 60006A

Wow, I think I like this the best yet from the Shed's Wax series. Hypnotic, minimal and very well made dub techno cut. Pumping, loud, straight to the dancefloor material. Possibly a future classic!

From Rivera's Groove Box #288: Ajukaja - Ekleer

Funky, quirky disco sound, making great usage of Kleeer's 'Amour' hook. A solid track with tight beats and a supercool vocoded vocal part which just leaves you scratching your head - 'how did he do that?'. But anyone who has followed Ajukaja's work should know the man's eclectic dance music style.

From Rivera's Groove Box #287: West Coast Swingaz - Luvdrunk

Back in 2007 there began circling around this Black Eyed Peas 'My Humps' sampling track, it was really cool and catchy - a proper jacked up boompty house track, bringing the funk. It turned out to be a bootleg by the Brazilian Jamanta Crew gang. They rocked the Miami WMC properly with it that year, here's even a video of them playing it to a full house (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQHNnN3KTjk) but it never got released! Throughout the years, I have wondered, does anyone even remember that track? Certainly no-one I have asked has heard of it. I talked about the track to my girlfriend, telling her that this track still haunts me sometimes, and it's a shame it never got released. And then I thought, hell, why not try to re-create the track or something - certainly my productions skills have improved over the years and I could do it. And so I began working around the 'My Humps' acapella, chopping it up and thinking a way how to make it work in a house track. It took me a couple tries to get it right, and indeed, I got 'something'. I think it's a good groove, and may even get your butt jiggly. Check it out ;) 

From Rivera's Groove Box #286: John Tareugram - Born Ready

John Tareugram is a new and upcoming house producer from France. He mixes together very masterfully deep house with elements of funk and disco. Definitely a name to watch out for!

From Rivera's Groove Box #285: Beautiful People - I Got The Rhythm

Surely one of Pal Joey's finest productions ever! The track just builds and builds and has so many beautiful sounds layered on top of each one - very superbly mixed together. This is a a tune that once heard is not forgotten. I think it easily ranks as one of the best deep house tracks ever put together.

From Rivera's Groove Box #284: Kitchen Sync ‎– Serious Work

Kitchen Sync is a project of Scott Kinchen - brother of Mark 'MK' Kinchen! This 1993 track is in my opinion very underrated, and is not being mentioned alongside other notable garage house tracks from that period. The production on this one is very raw and minimal. A boompty style clunking beat loop with a very basic bassline, together with some deep pads and vocal snippets. I also recognize the keys of this track being the very often sampled Kenlou dub mix of St. Etienne's 'Nothing Can Stop Us'. Strictly Rhythm is just one the best house labels ever, because they have so much gems in their discography. You can always trust that red brick wall!

From Rivera's Groove Box #283: Taxi C.A.B. - Chunk-A-Nova (Red Dog Mix)

Classic Chicago house track made by Adam 'DJ Chunk-A-Bud' Maljan. Originally released in 1994. This funky disco track is a timeless dance floor classic. It uses very effectively the drumloop and vocals from Jackie Moore's 'This Time Baby' and the musical elements of Wood Brass & Steel 'Funkanova'. The production is very minimal with rough sampling, but it's all done in a way which makes the track stand out, and giving it a unique lo-fi aesthetic. Detroit came out with their own version of this track, made by Terrence Parker in 1996 - 'Love's Got Me High'. It's basically the same track, but it features an additional bassline and new vocals. Both are great tracks! I like Chunk-A-Nova a little bit more, because DJ Chunk-A-Bud didn't do a lot of tracks, and it is his most memorable, while from Terrence Parker's discography I can choose a lot other classics. I also read that Adam 'DJ Chunk-A-Bud' Maljan has sadly passed away in 2016. 

From Rivera's Groove Box #282: Luca Lozano - Ibiza Bullshit Necklace

Sometimes I stumble oddly on some popular EDM music videos, and I can barely watch those for a few seconds. I find the music to be extremly loud, dumb, obnoxious... and the videos offensive with their showing of gross-out partying. But when I say to people who have no clue, that I'm into 'electronic dance music - you know, the underground stuff'... they surely must think of me being one of those EDM junkies?! Yuck... and yeah I wouldn't give a damn, but it's always so awkward trying to explain... anyway here's an modern underground house track with some classic hints!

From Rivera's Groove Box #281: Soho - Give It Up (Passion Mix)

A Pal Joey joint. Can't believe it's from 1990. House music in that year was still very clunky sounding, rough stuff with acid and Chicago influences. But here we have a nice example of the new garage house sound emerging from New York city.

From Rivera's Groove Box #280: Disco Elements -Take To The Dancefloor

In the early 90s, disco house tracks like this were called 'neodisco'. Far from the nu-disco sound they have now. Very lovely house track, with a superb use of Imagination 'Burnin Up'.

From Rivera's Groove Box #279: Kettenkarussell - Maybe

I think I found my favourite Giegling track yet! I find the label and all its doings very fascinating. For example, you can only get this record from Giegling parties, not in a record store or online order. Superbly crafted deep house music.

Ricky Inch - Galaxy 77 (Ossom Records, 2018) Album Review

Riho Ints, alias Ricky Inch, is one of the best examples from the Estonian contemporary soulful dance music scene, and his long awaited solo debut album 'Galaxy 77' is the proof of it. This record brings together all the different shades of house music – deep, funky, disco, tech, underground. - you name it. 

The albums tone is settled with the introduction track 'Connections' with its lively sounding bass guitar and creative electric piano keyboards by Osamu Fukuzawa. A vocal which comes from the soul is delivered by the Bulgarian r&b singer Todor Gadjalov. What follows is an 180-degree turn with the tech house sounding 'Side Effect' with its clunky drums. The albums run-through theme of space and cosmic exploration is represented in instrumental, synthesizer filled nu-disco flavored tracks like 'Galactic Ride 77', 'Space Funk', 'Potatoes On Mars' and 'Lone Jet'. We even get some UK garage influenced skippy beats with 'String & Basso'. There's plenty of dancefloor filling material with tracks like 'Dolce Vita Duty' which has that strobe lights flashing dark room sound. Vocal rich 'The Way I Do' and 'Really Want To Know' are radio friendly songs with a pop-house touch, but not in a tired and predictable way like so much of new dance music. You can hum the melodic 'Sentimental Man' even days after listening. The album finishes with the downtempo lounge feeling track 'The Message'. 

All of this is the artists introduction to his own musical galaxy, where there are no exact boundaries between genres. If its got a good vibe, then everything goes. The album features a roster of talented guest musicians and singers, all masterfully orchestrated together and produced in the studio by Ricky Inch. The result is personal, real and sincere.

From Rivera's Groove Box #278: Tom Smeyers - My Way

Tom Smeyers seems like a humble guy. A Belgian DJ and producer of classic 90s sounding house music, influenced by garage, deep, disco and funky grooves. He's done just one digital release on Guesthouse Music, and a vinyl only release on Sneakerfreaks. Quality before quantity, that's admirable. 

From Rivera's Groove Box #277: Time Warp - A Feeling I Know

Oh boy, this track is just banging. Literally. While it seems using distortion on drums and overall sound is a latest thing in the lo-fi dance music scene, DJs and producers experimented with a phat, crushed, distorted saturation effect on the sound early on in the beginning of house and techno roots. Time Warp is the awesomeness of George Morel and DJ Pierre teaming up. 

From Rivera's Groove Box #276: Matthieu Faubourg - Please, Stay

So one day, Matthieu Faubourg just decided when waking up, that he is going to write and produce the best composition in his entire discography, a track which will haunt him and he'll probably never even going to top this. None of his other tracks come near this. His magnus opus. Amazing deep house track, so much feels in this one.

From Rivera's Groove Box #275: Pressure Drop - Feeling Good

What a tune. Appearantly it was on the Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez movie 'Men At Work'?! I saw that movie as a kid, but I can't remember this track. Amazing garage vibes with some hip-hoppish undertones. Superb use of NYC Peech Boys 'Don't Make Me Wait' sample.

From Rivera's Groove Box #274: West Coast Swingaz - Ooh Babe

I think the description 'stomping party house' perfectly fits the title!

From Rivera's Groove Box #273: Funky Green Dogs Fom Outer Space - Reach For Me

Amazing 90s dance track with a stunning vocal, and the track just grows and grows, and it's all so groovy. This song just shows that house music really is 'disco's revenge' - because this track has a full blooded classic disco vibe going on!

From Rivera's Groove Box #272: Dirtytwo - Trapped!

NYC styled deep garage feeling tracks just get me going. Today I woke up, my girlfriend still sleeping, and I couldn't even remember what I saw in my dreams. But I felt the need to listen to some good house music, and this came the first in my mind. Love and house music, that's the two main things that help me get through the day. Great chords, classic Todd Terry styled drum rolls, vocals lent from Colonel Abrams. Althought it isn't a fresh idea, it still really sounds helluva fine.

From Rivera's Groove Box #271: DJ Spielberg - In Your Eyes

A nice lo-fi house rendition of Groove Theory's 'Tell Me' from the enchanted to Laura Dern fanatic DJ Spielberg.

From Rivera's Groove Box #270: DJ Q - Tracking

Just one word: banger! DJ Q used an E-mu SP-1200 sampler for this track, which gives the beats and samples this amazing lo-fi gritty crushed sound. This distinctive sound, often said to capture the 'warmth' of vinyl has sustained demand for the SP-1200 more than thirty years after its discontinuation, despite the introduction of DAWs and samplers/sequencers with far superior technical specifications. Moodymann has one. Todd Terry did his classic works with it. And I'd like to get my hands on one of these bad boys!

From Rivera's Groovebox #269: Hula Feat. Dana - Men (Vox Mix)

What a nice and lovely undiscovered soulful house gem from 1995. Hula always stayed more underground, while his production buddy from 'This Is Acid' - Maurice Joshua - kinda went more mainstream with watered down bubblegum crap.

From Rivera's Groovebox #268: Interplanetary Criminal - Light Years Apart

Sometimes I feel like being light years apart with everyone else. Great track, amazing break with that nice Korg M1 sounding 'Robin S' organ bassline synth.

From Rivera's Groovebox #267: Rezzett - Worst Ever Contender

Rezzett is back, and this time with an album. And it does sound gorgeous. No other lo-fi dance music acts haven't really mastered the distorted fuzzy crushed sounds as well as Rezzett does.

From Rivera's Groove Box #266: West Coast Swingaz - Got 2 B Houz

For me, one of the biggest influence has always been the rough sound of Chicago house music. Chicago house just feels so right. This track is not from Chicago, and it certainly isn't from the eighties, but it is crafted delicately to sound like it really could be. Call it a tribute.

From Rivera's Groove Box #265: Mella Dee - Techno Disco Tool

Some of you said it's one of the best dance tracks of 2017. It is very well done indeed, reminiscent of loopy disco house sounding techno tracks of the late 90s. Very noticeable Sister Sledge sample, but well used - a wondrous loop of high-powered soul, backed by an electrifying shade of FX filtering. Bangin.

From Rivera's Groove Box #264: Steve Murphy & DJ Octopus - Raw Escape

Hard hitting disco sampling (Linx 'You're Lying') lo-fi house nutter. Party starting guaranteed dance anthem.

From Rivera's Groove Box #263: MK - You Brought Me Love

A huge underground garage classic. A track with a tight groove, phat bassline and garagey piano chords. The B-side for 'Burning' which is the better known track. 'You Brought Me Love' is a dark basement groove of the highest order and it had big influence on the whole UK Garage scene.

From Rivera's Groove Box #262: Jovonn - Love Destination

One of the best Jovonn tracks suffers unfortunately from one of the most awful mastering quality I've ever heard on a house record. Its bad sound has been notorious - too distorted, the bass sounds too heavy, overcompressed. And for years until the Mojuba repress, the record was really sought after and overpriced, with some copies fetching over few hundred quids on Discogs. But, it's still a great track - and while some deem it unplayable in clubs, I kinda appreciate its lo-fi quality. It gives the track some more personality.