From Rivera's Groove Box #421: Colonel Abrams - Trapped '94 (Smack Club Dub)

Nice and tight jersey house remix from Mentalinstrum (Eddie Perez) for the early proto-house song from New York. This remix was very influential for the developement of the UK garage house sccene, with key players dropping this track in their mixes. Colonel Abrams is widely credited as one of those artists who brought house music to the mainstream in the mid-80s.

From Rivera's Groove Box #420: DJ Topcat - I Need Weed In My Life

Another Dance Mania classic, this one has a catchy and easy to remember monologue, albeit a bit dark and sinister. A cautionary tale about the dangers of drug addiction. Toppled with a distinct raw production, tough ghetto house beats and tweaked synths, it is easy to recognise why this track is being hailed as a favorite by many. DJ Topcat is a Chicago DJ and producer - he released a handful of tracks on various artists compilations and a solo record on Dance Mania in 1997.

From Rivera's Groove Box #419: Maurice Joshua Feat. Chantay Savage – I Gotta Hold On U

That lady can sing! Steve Silk Hurley Silky Scat Dub is where it's at. Early 90s house at its finest. Some of the vocals and track elements were reused in Hardrive's 'Maurice's Vibe' which itself is an unreleased Masters At Work remix draft from this song. Also recommended to check out is Bernard Badie's 'Stressed Out' which uses some vocals from Chantay as samples.

From Rivera's Groove Box #418: Houz' Neegroz - All Night Long

One of Nu Grooves Rheji Burrell's aliases. Proper tough old school house with gritty swinging beats, the right sounds and samples directly where you feel them the most, all recorded on a dusty DAT tape giving it a lo-fi quality. But it works and has such a unique footprint.

From Rivera's Groove Box #417: Brawther - Endless (Underground Mix)

Incredibly deep and classy track from the Frenchman Brawther. Brawther told in his Discord forum, that he sent a 192kbps mp3 version of this track to Chez Damier for preview, but when he was ready to send the final mixed version, Chez had already sent the track to the vinyl plant for getting pressed. He got it mastered professionally though! But the track does sound kinda muddy and lo-fi, giving it a real underground vibe.