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!