Music Buying Guide

As promised, here is the Clubbers Guide "Music Buying Guide." While it is not complete, this is a listing of the essentials. Have any more? Feel free to share the wealth.

Digital Downloads

Audiojelly
Lots of independent artists.

Beatport.com
Lots of major dance labels and independents. Some exclusives not available at any other digital or actual store.

DJDownload
Lots of independents and some major ones.

iTunes (Download the software program first)
Some of the major dance labels' stuff, some independent.

PerfectBeat
Lots of major and independent stuff. Not everything available on CD is available for digital download.

TrackItDown
Lots of independent and some major stuff.

Traxsource
Lots of major European and U.S. dance label stuff unavailable elsewhere.

Walmart.com
Some of the major dance labels' stuff, some independent.

Online Stores

Amazon.com
Lots of import and domestic CD singles, albums and compilations. Some obscure and out of print ones (through the Used section). Some vinyl too.

DanceRecords.com
Lots of major and independent dance label stuff on vinyl. Some CDs also. The selection of bootlegs and mashups are really worth checking out.

PerfectBeat
Lots of exclusive CD singles, compilations and albums unavailable in regular stores or elsewhere. Special CD singles and albums directly from the labels are made available here. Some releases of singles are very limited and can happen at any time, so it is important to check often and buy quickly! Some CD singles are made available as digital downloads later on. They have some vinyl, but very little.

Vital Vinyl
Lots of underground vinyl releases. Decent hip hop selection. A few CDs every so often.

Record Labels With Digital Stores

Star 69
All previously released singles plus some rare and unreleased stuff is available. Occasional early releases of forthcoming singles are a real plus. Exclusive limited run compilations and albums every so often.

Ultra
Features all previously released singles, albums and compilations.

A very special announcement...

To the readers of this blog,

I would like to begin by thanking everyone for reading the blog and checking back regularly for the updates. Don't worry. This blog is continuing. However, the focus will be changing a bit.

Based on the feedback I have received, many have been frustrated with the fact that much of what has been reviewed/discussed previously was unavailable for purchase as much of it was only available on promos, and generally not available to the public. This will be changing very soon.

After this, all reviews published here at The Clubbers Guide To Dance will only be of music that can be purchased, whether online, or through an actual store. It is important that we continue to support the artists and labels that we love so that they are able to keep making music.

The official re-launch of The Clubbers Guide will happen on June 1, 2007, beginning with a guide on where to purchase and download the hottest dance music legally. And continuing with the Remixer of The Week feature, Peter Rauhofer is the next one who will be profiled.

Thanks,
Disco Cowboy

Remixer Of The Week - Junior Vasquez

Starting this week, one remixer/DJ will be chosen and then their best mixes from their entire body of work, to date will be ranked by me. :-)

It would be most appropriate to begin with a DJ who has made his mark on clubland ever since he came onto the scene in the 80's. Whether it be with his editing with the legendary Shep Pettibone, or remixing or producing or writing, Junior Vasquez has always been revolutionary and original. Has remixed many, many songs. Many hundreds if not thousands. While many mixers have come and gone, Junior has remained on top and in much demand.



Here are some of his remix highlights* of his remixing career:

Pre-Sound Factory
Ellis D -My Loleatta
Janet Jackson - State Of The World
Paul Lekakis - My House
Prince - Thieves In The Temple

Sound Factory
Billie Ray Martin - Your Loving Arms
Junior Vasquez Get Your Hands Off Of My Man
Junior Vasquez - Nervaas
Junior Vasquez - X
Ké - Strange World
Kristine W. - Feel What You Want
Lectroluv - Dream Drums
Livin' Joy - Dreamer
Madonna - Bedtime Story
Madonna - Secret
Vernessa Mitchell - Reap (What You Sow)

Tunnel
Cher - One By One
Junior Vasquez - If Madonna Calls
Madonna - You'll See

Arena
Cher - Paradise Is Here
Deborah Cox - Who Do You Love
Deep Forest & Peter Gabriel - While The Earth Sleeps
Dolly Parton - Peace Train
Elton John - Rocketman
Everything But The Girl - Missing
Funky Green Dogs - Fired Up
k.d. lang - Theme From The Valley Of The Dolls
Kevin Aviance - Cunty
Madonna - Crazy For You
Skunk Anansie - Brazen (Weep)
Wes - Awa Awa
Whitney Houston - Step By Step

Twilo/Juniorverse
Catapila - Void (I Need You)
Charlotte - Skin
Hypertrophy - Beautiful Day
Kylie Minogue - Too Far
Lisa Stansfield - Never Gonna Fall
Macy Gray - I Try
Mariah Carey - Heartbreaker/If You Should Ever Be Lonely
Mary J. Blige - Your Child
Ministers De La Funk featuring Jocelyn Brown - Believe
Sade - By Your Side
Vernessa Mitchell - This Joy

Earth
Christina Aguilera - Beautiful
Funky Green Dogs - Rise Up
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River
Lamya - Empires
Nelly Furtado - I'm Like A Bird
Rosabel featuring Jennifer Holliday - And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
Vivian Green - Emotional Rollercoaster

Post-Earth
Amuka - Craving
Beyonce - Crazy In Love
Britney Spears - Breathe On Me
Britney Spears - Toxic
Ceevox - Music Is My Life
Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man
Darren Hayes - So Beautiful
Deborah Cox - Easy As Life
Emmy Rossum & Gerard Butler - The Phantom Of The Opera
Jason Walker - No More
Kelis - Milkshake
Maroon 5 - This Love
Mary J. Blige - Your Weeping Child
Vernessa Mitchell - Love Will Find A Way
Vivian Green - Cursed

* Note: Only a select number of mixes from each of the various eras were chosen as there were so many mixes done that were considered exceptional that this list could go on and on. :-)

Your favorite mixes not listed above? Please feel free to list what your favorite mixes from the various eras were.

Sunshine Anderson - Force Of Nature

This is the 2nd single off of her recently released album Sunshine After Midnight. While her songs have not taken off on radio, her label is opting to promote her in the clubs where she has had success.

DJ Escape & Johnny Vicious take the slow and seductive original and rewerk it for the clubs. They keep all vocals this time around. The mix is not as dark as some of their recent offerings, however, this one is very in-between and will fit in with a variety of sets. The twisted synth loop and some of the pianos under the verses bear resemblance to Gabriel & Dresden's remix of "Save My Soul" by Kristine W. Intentional or not, it works very well.

Maroon 5 - Makes Me Wonder

The main version of this song is actually quite dancey. It has the feel of a nice hipster disco song. A simple extended mix of the original would have made this song club-ready. However, Harry "Choo Choo" Romero did remixes. His mixes are more dub-like and have fewer vocals. The instrumental production is really energetic and synthy. It goes away from the light, airy production of the original. These are cool though. There's a club, dubstramental and radio edit.

On the unofficial tip, there's mixes by Ranny. He takes an unexpected departure with the sound he chose for the mixes. It's not his usual tribal/circuit fare. It's more in line with light original. Not that light though. His Sunset mixes are quite noteworthy and are worth checking out.

Casey Stratton - House Of Jupiter

This song was a pretty big hit in clubland a few years ago with Junior Vasquez's fantastic remixes. This one has been updated by rising star Peter Bailey. His mix is very synthy and uplifting. It gets to be a bit repetitive in places, but in the context of a club, this will be a floorfiller once the clubbers realize what they are listening to. While Junior's mixes are still where its at, this one is a very good alternate.

Tracey Thorn - Raise The Roof

"Raise The Roof" is the second single off of her Out Of The Woods album. Cagedbaby's remixes of this give this an 80's pop/underground feel. The bassline and synth elements bear resemblance to a Eurythmics type of song. The bassline actually sounds similar in places to their song "Love Is A Stranger." And the vocal effects really make Tracey's ethereal vocals sound even more like Annie Lennox's. Not a bad thing. It's perfect. This is a nice Summery kind of song.

Ron Perkov - Live Luv Dance

No stranger to the circuit scene is Ron Perkov who has been recording for over a decade now. While he has only had a handful of songs over the years, the few he has had made a lasting impression. And this new one is no different.

This hands-in-the-air, sing along, feelgood club anthem will be packing floors for months to come and could easily be this years Pride-defining song.

Tony Moran's main mix of this packs the most punch. It features soaring synths and fierce tribal beats. Ron's smooth vocals take center stage after the incredible build. The chorus is so simple and catchy that it would not be unusual for clubbers to be singing along and knowing all the words after just a few minutes.

There's additional mixes by Dave Pezza, Ray Roc, Peter Presta, Valentin and RadioKillaz. The mixes can be purchased from here: http://www.trackitdown.net/genre/electro/track/308696.html.

With the proper edit, Tony's mix could also work well on Dance radio.

Lady Sovereign - Those Were The Days

Critically acclaimed UK-based rapper Lady Sovereign has been really doing well in the clubs with the hot remixes she has gotten for her songs.

Digital Dog provides a really fresh, driving electro set of mixes for "Those Were The Days." The vocals are really sped up and almost unintelligible if you are not familiar with the song in its original mix. However, it works really well. A dub version of this would really do the trick.

Kat DeLuna - Whine Up

This is a hot new dance-leaning hip hop track that is slowly beginning to burn up the airwaves. This is already a favorite by radio programmers and fans.

Upon first listen, this one has a similar sound as those club bangers Sean Paul has been releasing for the last couple of years. Kat's hypnotic vocals beckon you to come to the dancefloor and "whine up."

This one will be everywhere very soon.

Rihanna - Umbrella

This is the lead single off of her 3rd studio album Good Girl Gone Bad. The original has the feel of an 80's pop ballad. It's a nice, simple track that almost got ruined with Jay-Z's rapping. It's really unnecessary. Remixes by Josh Harris (as Lindbergh Palace), Jody den Broeder and Seamus Haji with Paul Emanuel take this song to the clubs.

For all the mixes, it is worth mentioning that the vocals were sped up instead of being slowed down. The album version has one of those "dangerous" BPMs which could be very tricky when remixing. Some unofficial mixes have already contained a slowed down vocal because slowing down was easier than speeding it up. Rihanna has a lot of vibrato in her voice so that could cause some problems. But all the mixers handled this one very well.

Harris' mix has a lite 80's synth pop feel to it.

Den Broeder did two main mixes. The Deconstruction mix is very electro with lots of fun blips and beeps. Without the beats, it would sound like a slowed down drum n' bass track. The bassline is absolutely hot. And vocal effects on the "eh ella eh ella" parts are really creative. The Lush mix is a little more circuit, but it is also very electro with a hot bassline too. This also has the 80's kind of sound to it. The style of this one calls to mind some of the sounds of Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Eric Prydz.

And finally there are Seamus Haji and Paul Emanuel's mixes. Theirs are super electro. It's a little more underground sounding.

Overall, all the mixes in this package are really impressive. All of them should garner plenty of airplay and spins on the dancefloor.

Cascada - A Never Ending Dream

This one first first made the rounds as part of a 3 track single with an extended mix and 2 very aggressive hard house/progressive trance mixes. After having multiple top 10 singles in the UK and all over Europe, this one has become a single in the UK on AATW.

In addition to harder mixes, some accessible house mixes by Digital Dog and Fugitive have been included. This is a very wise decision as many DJs may not be able to work in harder and faster mixes into their sets. The Digital Dog mix is very electro and aggressive. It has soaring trance synths in the background to preserve some of the feel of the original. Vocalist Natalie Horler sounds great over this new production. DJs that may have hesitated to play Cascada have no excuse not to play them now.

Ciara - Get Up

While the first set of mixes first surfaced a few months by Moto Blanco, no other official dance mixes have been available until now.

A new one courtesy of rising mixer Digital Dog. This is a nice electro-house mix. It is a little harder than Moto Blanco's light and airy mix. This one is worth checking out.

Ne-Yo - Because Of You

R&B/hip hop singer/songwriter du jour Ne-Yo finally gets some official dance mixes for his current single "Because Of You" courtesy of Sunfreakz, Josh Harris, Chop Shop and Kriya vs. Velez.

The Sunfreakz mix is nothing impressive, but it gets the job done. It's a basic, garden variety mild electro house mix. The stellar vocals are highlighted in this mix. This is the most radio-friendly mix of the bunch. This one will work well in both club and radio environments.

Enrique Iglesias - Do You Know (The Ping-Pong Song)

The title may be a little off-putting, but it's not as bad as it sounds. This is a really nice comeback single from the soft-voiced crooner.

Ralphi Rosario with Craig CJ and DJ Dan do the remixes for this one.

Ralphi provides a simple, yet accessible mix. It is easily the mix of choice. He preserves the chords from the original version, keeping it all familar.

DJ Dan goes for a much more electro, 80's new wave sounding mix. It's a lot more dubbish. It bears a striking resemblance to "Don't You Want Me" by the Human League.

Go straight for Ralphi and Craig's mix.

Amerie - Take Control

This song has already become a hot item overseas, especially in the UK. The original is a borderline UK Garage-styled track. Remixes by DJ Leo & Guy Robin, Karmatronics and Tracy Young transform this for the clubs.

Amerie's sassy vocals are highlighted on all the mixes. DJ Leo & Guy Robin go for a nice soulful house type of mix. This is a very classy, sophisticated type of mix. This is nice for the lounges and early in the evening. Although, this one is totally perfect for tea dances and lounging by the pool or the beach. Karmatronics provide a meatier, peakhour house mix. And Tracy Young provides a very accessible circuit house mix. It sounds very much like something out of Junior's 2003 World and Sound Factory's remix sessions (it's a good thing!). This one is very energetic and driving.

Overall, this remix package is very impressive. All the mixes bring something special.

Kim English - My Destiny

Although this one first garnered some attention and buzz last year through Exacta and Junior's own mixes, this one has been made over for premium peak-hour consumption with the help of Kobbe & Austin Leeds and Ron Carroll.

Kobbe & Austin Leeds may seem like an unusual fit for a vocal track like this, however, it workes really well. This one has a nice synthy bassline that sounds best when turned up loud. The twisted background sounds and those gothic bells really give this mix some personality. All of the vocals are not used in the main mix. The dub has even less, but it's very suitable. The dark, twisted production shines here. The Radio Edit has full vocals though.

Ron Carroll goes for a mildly subdued house production. However, the beats and bass pattern resemble the sound Offer Nissim has become famous for. This is a premium mix for circuit. However, there's very few vocals in the mix. It is almost like a dub. The Dub has no vocals at all, however, it is totally different from the main version. The Radio Edit, surprisingly, has full vocals though. This one could be saved through a new mix that stitches beginning and ending of the vocal mix with the edit in the middle.

Overall, both sets of mixes could be floorfillers. Get all of them.

Nelly Furtado - Say It Right (Junior Vasquez Mix)

The official mixes and several unofficial ones were reviewed a while back. Junior Vasquez announced that he was doing a mix of this just a short time before Red Party, where he unveiled it.

He gave the mix a wide preview during this past week.

His mix keeps all of the vocals. They are the focal point of the mix. He keeps the instrumental production very simple. He also took the melody from the original version and "clubbed" it a little. Many of the other mixes had did away with that aspect. Throughout the epic 10 minute mix, there are plenty of fun vocal effects. A dub with just those would be so perfect.

This mix was definitely worth waiting for. This is easily the best mix of "Say It Right."

Angelique Kidjo featuring Peter Gabriel - Salala

She is back with a new album called Djin Djin. This Beninese artist has been on the World music scene since the early 90's and has carved out a niche for herself.

In addition to the stunning, traditional-sounding tracks, Ms. Kidjo has had several of her songs remixed for club consumption. Junior Vasquez most notably remixed "Shango" and "Wombo Lombo" during his fruitful Arena era. It was only appropriate that he take on "Salala" as well.

Peter Gabriel is a guest vocalist on this track which is a nice, simple guitar-driven track with that infectious chorus. It's a feel-good track.

And Junior takes this one makes it over in the style he has done other similar tracks including "Awa Awa" by Wes and "While The Earth Sleeps" by Deep Forest & Peter Gabriel. He actually samples some elements and riffs from the latter for this mix. It is just an amazing mix. He really has a knack for preserving the original integrity of these kinds of songs and still bringing something totally knew. His Tribalelectro Mix should be at the top of your must-have list.

Inaya Day - Breakaway

This is basically the followup to the club smash "Spin Me Round." This is a remake of a song that was released originally by Big Pig. In the main mix by Bill Bennett, this is a nice peakhour, tribal stomper. This one has way more energy than "Spin Me Round." It has similar tribal beats, but this one goes much further. The instrumental elements, bass and synths call to mind the Queer As Folk breakout hit "Dive In The Pool." Additional remixes will be coming soon.

While Inaya has done a handful of remakes and covers during the last couple of years, this one has enough originality and creativity that Inaya can keep on doing those because she brings a fresh element to whatever she does.

This one is perfect for Pride which is coming up in a few weeks.

Jacinta - Can't Keep It A Secret

This is the followup to the new club diva on the block's followup to "Destination." A great lineup of A-list mixers tailor this song for multiple environments.

Jacinta's vocals are pure perfection here. She does not disappoint at all. The lyrics on this song are top-notch as well.

Tony Moran & Warren Rigg's mix is basically the main version of the song. It is the usual excellent circuit mix that they are known for delivering. This one will work well both in the clubs and on radio.

The mix by Escape & Johnny Vicious goes much darker and anthemic and really makes this a hands in the air song.

Georgie Porgie opts for a more subdued house take on the song.

A CD maxi is available at PerfectBeat with the following tracklisting:

01. Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Original Mix (4:03)
02. Josh Harris' Elektrik Radio Edit (3:51)
03. Georgie's Secret Radio Mix (4:12)
04. Johnny Vicious & DJ Excape Radio Edit (4:00)
05. Francis Preve Electroluxe Radio (3:07)
06. Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Original Mix - Club (9:02)
07. Josh Harris' Elektrik Club Mix (8:02)
08. Georgie's Secret Vocal Mix (8:13)
09. Johnny Vicious & DJ Excape Main Mix (9:08)
10. Francis Preve Electroluxe Club (6:37)

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Me & My Imagination

Stonebridge and Tony Lamezma were commisioned to remix this second single off of her much-delayed Trip The Light Fantastic album. Stonebridge's mix is a nice chugging, electro-lite remix. This is a big improvement since his last lukewarm mixes. This is totally hot. And Tony Lamezma's mix is a little more Eurodance sounding. It packs the most punch though. It's one of his best mixes. He has frequently remixed for Girls Aloud in the past. This is a great remix package overall.

Diddy featuring Keyshia Cole - Last Night (Remixes)

Maurice Joshua previously remixed this a few months back. His was a nice late night, soulful mix. Glenn Friscia provides a decent peakhour club mix. It has some slight electro elements, but it's totally tribal. He kept Diddy's vocals. In the case of this mix, it works just fine. There are many instances where such vocals don't work. Both mixes are really great.

Mutya Buena - Real Girl

This is the real first single from the former Sugababes' vocalist. Moto Blanco provide a very simple, soulful house mix that suits Mutya's delicate, but sassy vocal. This mix bears resemblance to some of the light disco confections of the 70s. It could be easily mistaken for something from the Salsoul catalog. Yes, it's that good! This is a must-listen.

JoJo - Anything

This is her second single off of her second album. After the smash hit "Too Little, Too Late" comes "Anything." This one gets the remixing treatment by Wawa. This Toto-sampling track seemed like it would be a challenge to remix tastefully. Wawa totally excels in this remix. The result is a piano-lade, funky house mix. The piano is absolutely addictive. The main vocal mix works well as does the dub. The piano is the highlight of course. This one will be everywhere in the coming weeks.

Nelly Furtado - All Good Things (Come To An End)

This 4th single from her hit album Loose has also been remixed for the clubs and Dance radio. This one was hard to imagine with a clubbier production, but Dave Aude and Kaskade have both proved that it can be done in a way that does justice to the song.

Dave Aude's mixes could be best described as a mixture of electro, dance and a touch of 80's synth pop. This one will work in a variety of sets and environments.

Kaskade's mixes are in a similar vein but are a lot more 80's sounding. It's really gorgeous.

Both have handled their mixes extremely well. This is one of the best remix packages to come out in the last few weeks.

Limp Wristed featuring Dawn Robinson - What's The T?

This one is a nice throwback to those runway/bitch anthems that flooded clubland many years ago. We are way overdue for songs like this. Aside from the comedic value many of these have to offer, these are just so much fun to dance to.

Damon Butler formerly of boyband EYC and Dawn Robinson formerly of En Vogue team up for this track. Hard to believe, eh? This is a great track with some great mixes. Josh Peace delivers the goods on his mixes with a nice Junior-esque runway mix. It has a killer bassline and keyboard. Totally awesome. Manny Lehman's is a decent circuit mix. It's more early evening/peak hour. Josh's are perfect for all occasions.

This simple but hilarious track will definitely "werk" the crowds.

Stevie Nicks - Stand Back

This is an update of Stevie's older hit. Club vocalist Sam Obernik covered this a short time back and it had some fantastic remixes by Linus Loves. Hani, among other mixers was chosen for this project. Junior Sanchez has also done mixes. Only the Hani mix has been made available as of now. This remix is a nice sophisticated house/electro hybrid that will easily be a floorfiller. Check this one out immediately.

Gwen Stefani - 4 In The Morning

From her sophomore solo album comes the third single "4 In The Morning." The original is a stunning mid-tempo ballad. Stuart Price was commissioned to do the remixes for this one. He notably remixed her debut solo single "What You Waiting For" in 2004. He goes for a heavy electro house mix that unfortunately drops the chorus. The new electro production is so hard and sleazy sounding (think of some of Peter Rauhofer's mixes from 1997). It's a good thing though. Stuart really does well with synths and electro. The beats bear a little resemblance to his work on Madonna's "I Love New York" from 2005's Confessions On A Dance Floor. The chugging bassline underneath is just so dazzling. This one is best enjoyed at a high volume to get the full effect. And the electric synth loops are really great too. This is yet another great Stuart Price mix.

Bjork - Earth Intruders

This is Bjork's latest single from her new album after her almost-acapella Medulla project. This Timbaland produced single has already become a fan favorite in just the last few weeks. The original is not a dance track per se, but it is very dancey. This one is just screaming for a nice tribal workout that maintains most of the original elements. Even the original sped up a little sounds fine too. There is a mix by Spank Rock which doesn't sound like it's name. It's a slightly electro, borderline dance-rock track. It loses some of the hard edge the original has. But the vocals are still there and it works well.

Dane Cook - Just Wanna Dance

Comedian Dane Cook is not singing on this track. However, there are some choice samples of him during a comedy routine. The samples come from a bit he did about nightclubs and dancing from his Harmful If Swallowed stand-up special from a few years ago. The snippet chosen by remixer Blake Jarrell is totally genius. And the loop he creates from Dane's "sound effects" makes for a really creative mix. This one has some medium hard beats. This would work well in a dark house or circuit set. This one is in the same fashion as Junior's infamous mixes of Margaret Cho and Zsa Zsa Gabor, however this one does not wear on your nerves after a while. Check it out. The whole Harmful If Swallowed audio CD could make for an endless supply of material for more tracks in a similar vein.

iiO - Rapture 2007

This club classic from 2001 has been given yet another makeover. This one has made regular appearances on DJs' playlists through the various remixes and remakes. Although the original Deep Dish, John Creamer & Stephane K, Riva, Armin Van Buuren and Afterlife mixes can't be easily topped as those were some fantastic mixes. However, this new mix is in a class of its own. It's a nice hard, driving, sleazy update to the stunning original. Nadia Ali's vocals from the original version are used on this one and they fit the electro production Starkillers is known for so well. It's a full vocal mix unlike their previous mix of "Is It Love." This one has just been released and has been really hard to track down. It is definitely worth all the effort.

Yoko Ono - Open Your Box (Remix Album)

This is not a re-release of the single she released a few years ago. However, this is a collection featuring a bunch of remixes done of her songs over the last few years. Some of her recent club hits include "Open Your Box", "Kiss Kiss Kiss", "Yang Yang", "Walking On Thin Ice", "Everyman/Everywoman", and "Hell In Paradise." In addition to those, there are some previously unreleased remixes and there's the new cover she did of "Give Peace A Chance." Multiple mixes for several tracks are included in this 14 track set. It's completely unmixed. However, all songs are not in their original club lengths. They have been edited down so they would be suitable for mixshow use and consumers who may not feel like listening to a 12 minute remix. The editing is really well-done so the flow of the mixes doesn't feel interrupted. These mixes are harder and a lot dancier, and are suitable for the clubs unlike Ono's previous remix collection Yes, I'm A Witch, which contained downtempo reconstructions of her classics. The full club mixes are available for sale at iTunes and the CD maxis for some of them may still be available through some careful eBay searching. Overall, this is a must-have for fans of Yoko Ono's Dance music career and those who enjoy something a little out of the ordinary.

Star 69 Sampler

This free sampler features a decent selection of songs from the Star 69 label. Some older ones, some recents and a few that have not been released in an unmixed form. This is available exclusively at participating Borders locations all over the U.S. In many cases, it is located next to the new releases section where Offer Nissim's Forever Tel Aviv is displayed.

Here is the tracklisting:
01. Suzanne Palmer - Free My Love (Offer Nissim Mix)
02. Starkillers - Scream (Kobbe and Austin Leeds Mix)
03. Angel Moraes - Music Is Your Life (15 South Mix)
04. Anton Fielding & Tiny Stix - Fever's Coming (Original Mix)
05. K&S Project - The Music (Peter Rauhofer Mix)
06. Club 69 featuring Kim Cooper - Warm Leatherette (Saeed Younan Mix)
07. Offer Nissim featuring Maya - Be My Boyfriend (Original Mix)
08. Little Green Men - Through With You (Chus & Ceballos Mix)
09. Offer Nissim featuring Maya - For Your Love (Original Mix)
10. Suzanne Palmer - Luv 2 Luv (Original Mix)

Hilary Duff - Dignity

Richard Vission remixes yet another song for this rising poptart This is the third single in a row which featured mixes by him. He also did several of the songs that are on her current album of the same name. This mix has more vocals than the last two did. This one is just a simple peak hour/early evening mix. More mixes to follow. This one is currently available on a bonus CD that came with the album at Walmart stores.

Cajjmere Wray- Say It (Do It)

This is a minimal underground track that utilizes the fierce production Cajjmere laid down for his mix of Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" which was uncommisioned. Some samples of the Nelly vocals are in the mix still, but they are manipulated so well. This is a nice afterhours track.

Janet Jackson - With U

This is the 3rd song off of her current album 20 Y.O. No official mixes have been done for this one yet. However, Chad Jack managed to make a mix from the album version. Using some really clever EQing, he managed to make the original blend in really well. The new mix is very electro and has underlying tribal beat. This mix is a good bridge between house and circuit. Junior Vasquez has been playing this a lot on his weekly XM radio mix show. That is the only place this mix can currently be heard. A dub sample had been posted on Chad's website and MySpace earlier this year but no vocals were present to give an idea of what the mix would be like. It works really well. The effects done on the vocals really break up the mix and give it some atmosphere. A dub with just the manipulations would be great too. Tune in to Junior's mixshow to hear this.

Jennifer Lopez - Que Hiciste (Remixes)

It was rumored several months ago when the original and Reggaeton mixes of this song were reviewed that Tony Moran might be remixing this song, and it has finally happened! Tony has given this song the hard, tribal anthem that this one was meant to become. He takes the powerful original to the next level. He preserves some of the original elements and sounds to maintain some familiarity. The Spanish guitars in the original are here, but they are a little darker. It works well. And a nice hard bass and synth loop make this even more powerful. Jennifer's vocals take center stage on this production and sound even better. Both the club and dub clock in at over 10 minutes long. Both versions a nice deep tribal journey. The dub preserves the structure of the vocal mix but with less vocals. The dub may work better in most circuit environments. Overall, these are great.

Joe Zangie - Can You Feel The Love

Although the "Freestyle era" came to an end many years ago, there's still a handful of artists that still record in that style. Up and coming artist Joe Zangie's latest single "Can You Feel The Love" is one of those kind of songs.He has been around for several years now, but has only achieved regional success.

It has those familiar Afrika Bambaataa "Planet Rock" beats and bass which have found their way into many songs frome the era. However, given that these types of releases occur so rarely, it's nice to hear it again in such a context. There's a nice little sample from Noel's classic "Silent Morning" in there too.

Joe's vocal performance on this song is top notch. It calls to mind some of the great male vocalists which dominated the Freestyle era, including Noel, Stevie B, TKA, Johnny O, Collage and Tolga. He totally fits right in with all those legends. The lyrics are simple but great. Less is more.

This song has the style and vibe of an older song, but it sounds fresh, while sounding classic--a rarely accomplished feat.

In addition to the Freestyle-ish main mix, there's also the Tank's Luv Luv Edit that is much housier. It keeps a lot of the vibe of the main mix. This one sounds a lot more modern and would fit in nicely with House and light Circuit sets.And this one is ready for radio.

For maximum crossover potential, especially on radio, this one could use some trancey-breakbeat mixes, possibly by Ford and Front who dominate in such remix styles. Those would complement this sort of song.

Overall, this is a great release. Just in time for Summer. Joe's forthcoming debut album will be available later in the Spring. Check him out on MySpace for more info.

Katharine McPhee - Over It

American Idol runner-up from Season 5 is already doing well on the pop music charts, and now it is time for her to make her mark on the club charts.

There are several mixes however, the Funk Generation mixes by Mike Rizzo and Chico are the most friendly for the clubs and radio. Mr. Mig's mixes are a bit too downtempo to work that well in a club, however, they are suitable for radio.

The Funk Generation mixes a cross between house and mild electro. It has a very nice Summer feel. The vocals go so well over this new production. Totally natural.

These mixes are worth checking out ASAP.

Lustral - Many Years From Now

Although they rose to prominence over a decade ago with the song "Everytime" which has been remixed and reinvented many times over, there was really no proper followup that garnered the attention that "Everytime" had.

This new one called "Many Years From Now" sounds like a more sophisticated version of "Everytime" without the similar lyrics and stuff. This one sounds like the vocals are by Tracy Ackerman who did vocals on "Everytime."

There's remixes by Ralphi Rosario as well as other mixers, however, it's all about Rosario's mixes. He has two flavors of vocal mixes, a dub and an instrumental. The Remix features only some vocals, while the Full On one features many more vocals. The Dub has some vocals. The vocals just float beautifully over this borderline lounge/circuit mix. This sounds good at all times of the day and night. Dazzling mixes.

Tony Moran featuring Kristine W. - Walk Away

This one has finally seen an official release after having been debuted in the form of a live performance at a Pride celebration last year.

So far, the mixes are by Tony Moran with Warren Rigg, and on one of them, Dave Saronson is co-collaborator.

The tracklisting of the CD promo.

01. Tony Moran & Warren Rigg & Dave Saronson Mix (8:44)
02. Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Evolution Mix (9:04)
03. Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Evolution Mixshow Edit (7:21)
04. Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Padapella (8:45)

Overall, this one is not too different from the original demo version that had been making the rounds for several months now. That one was not as big room as this one is. It also lacked the soul that these new ones have. The vocals sound properly mastered now. Kristine sounds amazing as usual. It's nice to have her back after all these months.

The Moran, Rigg & Saronson mix is a deeper and darker than the other Moran & Rigg mixes. It's a little more synthier too. It's not extremely different from the other mixes. Moran & Rigg's Evolution mixes are a little more peak hour. They're the usual circuit goodness that Moran & Rigg are known for. The mixshow edit is a nice tight version of the main mix. It could have been just a few seconds shorter.

And for all those remixers and DJs, a padapella has been included. It's really well done. On it's own, it sounds just great. It's going to be hard to improve upon this already great track.

A radio edit of the main mix is also available, but not on this specific promo. This track is ready for radio already. No additional mixes are really nedded as these will

This is a must-have for Kristine W./Tony Moran & Warren Rigg fans. For casual fans, this is still worth a listen. Look for this one to be burning up the Billboard Dance/Club Play charts in the coming weeks.

Robin Thicke - Would That Make U Love Me

R&B sensation Robin Thicke has already made a name for himself doing songs for other artists and guesting, and now he is doing his own thing on his new album The Evolution Of Robin Thicke.

In its original version, it's a nice smooth R&B number. Thicke's vocals are very smooth and warm. Shades of Usher and Justin Timberlake can be heard in his vocals, however, he holds his own.

Legendary House DJ/remixer David Harness provides a very suitable mix. It's totally laidback and soulful. The acoustic guitars in the mix are really stunning. The whole mix sounds very organic and fresh and does not sound "canned." Absolutely amazing.

Kelly Clarkson - Never Again

This is the lead single off of her much-awaited followup to Breakaway entitled My December. The original and dance mix are to be sent to radio this week. Dave Aude has already done a remix which was made available for download with a pin number from a 12 pack of Vitamin Water. This is a simple rock-leaning, electro-house mix. It is in a very similar vein as Jason Nevins' mixes for Kelly from her previous album. This stands on its own though. The bassline and some of the elements from this mix bear resemblance to Aude's mix of "Talk" by Coldplay over a year ago. It sounds similar enough, but it's not a carbon copy. It works really well here. This is the first mix of the song right now. More are coming soon.

Ralph Falcon - I Need Someone

This vocal track has been around for several months now and has quickly become a favorite of many DJs.

A handful of mixes by Kobbe & Austin Leeds, Cajjmere Wray, Armand Pena and Erich Ensastigue had already been released on Nervous. There's some new mixes by The Cube Guys and Charlie Soluna which take this one up a notch.

The Cube Guys mix is very housey and would lend itself well to both house and circuit sets. The Charlie Soluna mix is a bit darker and more tribal. This one is better for afterhours. The warped "pots and pans" type of synths are really cool.

These new mixes are really awesome. Check them out.

Kaci - Can't Help Myself

No stranger to the Dance scene is Kaci who has already made waves with her Dance-friendly releases "I Will Learn To Love Again" and "Paradise." She is back with another single that is even catchier and more addictive.

"Can't Help Myself" boasts some really strong and sexy vocals, and equally impressive lyrics. Kaci is in top-form here.

Go straight for Aurora's mixes. These are perfect for both the radio and clubs. It is a nice cross between electro-house, trance and a little Eurodance. It has a slightly mid-1990's Eurodance type of feel. It's a nice change from some of the other same-ish mixes that are released sometimes.

This one will be everywhere soon!

Robin S. - Show Me Love 2007

This song has been remixed and remade many times over during the last few years. Stonebridge's classic remix which became the single version is the basis for this update. The mix may not bring too much to the table that hasn't been brought before. Simply, it's the original Stonebridge mix with an added Eric Prydz-ish beat. For fans of the original, this one isn't an over-the-top remake as some have been.

This is a must-listen right now.

Offer Nissim featuring Maya - For Your Love

This is the lead single off of Offer and Maya's forthcoming followup to First Time. Although Second Time was released a few months ago, it was basically a re-release of First Time with a bonus CD containing some previously unreleased remixes of their tracks. This is the true second album. Early Summer has been the time they have thrown around as when the project may be released, but that is all subject to change.

This track follows a slightly different structure as some of their previous releases. It contains only a small number of lyrics, however, they are done in such a manner that one may not notice that aspect. Maya showcases even more of her impressive vocal range. She sounds very angelic. The production differs a bit from their previous releases. The signature beats and bass are present, however, the synths are much more prevalent. The parts without the beats feature these gorgeous housey pianos circa 1993 (think of the pianos in Masters At Work featuring India's "I Can't Get No Sleep"). However, it is reverbed and becomes a part of the whole track. Maya's soaring vocals over those portions sound just so amazing.

The Original Mix has a proper intro with beats. On the other end, there is the Intro Version with the gorgeous building 2 minute beatless intro. It has a nice layering of the synths and pianos as well as some Maya vocal samples. After the beats come in, it is just like Original Mix.

Remixes by Peter Rauhofer, Kobbe, Masi & Mello and Manolo & Gold round out the new CD maxi that will be released on April 10, 2007, the same day Offer's Forever Tel Aviv will be released.

Peter's mix is a nice hard, tribal stomper with dark electro synths. It is more of a return to the anthemic style he dabbled in for a while in the early 2000's. It works really well. Peter's previous mixes of Offer and Maya have been lukewarm, however, this one is red-hot! The part with the recreated Original Mix elements is killer! Totally unexpected.

Kobbe's mix is a simple dirty, electro house mix in the same vein as something that Starkillers would do. It works well.

Masi & Mello go for a more mellow mix. The beats are very minimal. The deep penetrating bass is hot while the pianos in the mix are very chill. A very paradoxical mix that works quite well also.

Manolo & Gold offer a very aggressive, synthy, tribal mix. This mix could work as a bridge between house and trance sets. It would lend itself well to both. Maya's vocal are perfectly suited for all types of music, especially trance.

Overall, this remix package is very good, in comparison to previous Offer and Maya ones.

The CD maxi will be released to some stores as well as Amazon.com and Perfect Beat, and the mixes can already be purchased on the Star 69 website.

Tony Moran - Something About You

This was recorded over a year ago with lead vocals by none other than Tony Moran himself. Yes, he sings. He had done a few songs during the Freestyle era, as well as a cover with Nicki Richards of "High" by Lighthouse Family and most recently a cover of When In Rome's "The Promise."

Offer Nissim had originally charted this in his top 10 as early as April of last year. He has done multiple dubbish style mixes which feature only a handful of vocals. Jody den Broeder did a slightly more circuit/electro mix which is full vocal, and of course there's Tony's own Circuit Mix which is full vocal as well.

Tony's dazzling, warm vocals just float beautifully atop the productions. He sounds totally amazing. He needs to sing more often because he just sounds so good. As of now, no release has been planned for the song as a single. Until then, Tony's mix can be heard on Brett Henrichsen's current CD for Masterbeat.

Christina Aguilera - Candyman

This is the 3rd single off of her 3rd studio album Back To Basics. This uptempo, Andrews Sisters-homaging record has always been on the table as a possible single. It was supposed to be the 1st and then even the 2nd single after "Ain't No Other Man" was chosen, however, "Hurt" was picked as the 2nd single.

Unlike the previous 2 singles which had a handful of remixes, only one has been accepted by Christina's label. And this mix was by Offer Nissim.

Offer recently reworked "Hurt" as a private mix which went on to be featured on his double disc mix CD Forever Tel Aviv. Offer was then chosen to do a mix on an official basis. As of right now, only his mix was accepted.

No unofficial mixes have been done that were noteworthy as the high BPM and lack of an official or filtered acapella have really not allowed for much to be done. Given the BPM situation (the album version clocks in at 172 BPM), doing a house mix in the 125 to 132 BPM range is very difficult to do because of the intense vocal stretch. A slowdown mix a la those few that Junior and Thunderpuss did would work, however in this case, the slowdown part could work as a slow part because the vocals would sound fine if the BPM was halved and made to be 86. Speeding it up from 86 is just not a possibility without the vocals sounding chipmunknish, especially with all that vibrato. The only other option for using slowed down vocals would be doing a dub.

Offer chose the last option and did a dub mix with only select vocals. Much in the same vein as his stunning dub of Beyonce's "Deja Vu" last year, he uses only a few actual lines of vocal. It's mostly Christina's high notes and vocalizing. He takes Christina's old school track and transforms it into a Mediterranean masterpiece. If the few phrases and loops of vocals from the original had been left out, this could pass as one of the mixes Offer has done of other Mediterranean divas such as Fairuz, Ofra Haza and Rita. Speaking of Rita, the synth hook and bass elements sound very similar to the mix Offer did a couple of years ago of her take on "Jerusalem Of Gold." It works rather well. The multiple portions that are beatless could be difficult for some to program, but the energy is never lacking.

Overall, this is a great mix. Offer really delivered something amazing, as usual. This is one of Offer's few official mixes for a mainstream artist. Hopefully this could be the first of many more to come.

Brett Henrichsen - Masterbeat Presents Winter Party 2007

As he has for the last several years, circuit DJ extraordinaire Brett Henrichsen brings the latest installment in the Masterbeat series. A handful of recent hits and a bunch of previously unreleased goodies make up this edition. Mixed end to end, this mixed CD keeps the flow going at a great pace without getting boring. The 5 rare and unreleased Tony Moran-associated tracks on here are worth buying this compilation alone. This is a must-have.

01. Deep Influence - Fiesta Fatal (Tony Moran & Deep Influence)
02. Inaya Day - U Spin Me (Mike Cruz Club Mix)
03. Outwork Featuring Mr. Gee - Elektro (The Cube Guys Delano Remix)
04. S. Blush - It's My Life (Tony Moran's Extended Mix)
05. Tony Moran - Something About You (Circuit Mix)
06. Noel - I Feel Alive (Tony Moran & Jody den Broeder Mix)
07. Suzanne Palmer - Free My Love (Offer Nissim Mix)
08. Offer Nissim Featuring Maya - For Your Love (Club Mix)
09. Red Carpet - Alright (Tony Moran & Jody den Broeder Mix)
10. Soul Logic - Let's Get Together (Harrington's Tribal Anthem)

This is currently available on the Masterbeat website and at Perfect Beat.

Bob Sinclar & Cutee B featuring Gary Pine, Sand Dollar - Sound Of Freedom

This is the lead single off of Bob's forthcoming remix album entitled Soundz Of Freedom. The album is to feature many of the mixes that have been done of songs from his recent album Western Dream. It is to be released in May of this year.

Here is the tracklisting:

01. “Sound Of Freedom” Feat. Gary Pine & Dollarman
02. “What I Want” By Fireball
03. “Rock This Party” (2007 Remix)
04. “Baïaninade Nago” By Salomé de Bahia
05. “Meu Carnaval”
06. “Kiss My Eyes” (Chocolate Puma Remix)
07. “Everybody Movin” (Kurd Maverick & Eddie Thoneick Remix)
08. “Everybody Movin” (Guy Schreiner Remix Remix)
09. “Ultimate Funk” Feat. Big Ali (Tocadisco Remix)
10. “The Beat Goes On” (Mousse T Remix)
11. “Champs Elysées Theme” (Jamie Lewis Remix)
12. “Tribute” Feat. Ron Carroll & M. Robinson
13. “Together” Feat. Steve Edwards
14. “I Feel For You” (Axwell Remix)
15. “Give A Lil Love” (Erik Kupper Remix)

This song can be described as being a blend of "Love Generation", "World, Hold On" and "Rock This Party." It has the beats and rap style of "Rock This Party", and a choice older song's chorus. The vibe is a mix of the other two. No whistling this time though! Rozalla's rave anthem "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" is sampled from for the chorus. It's resung of course.

Mario Vazquez - One Shot

Former American Idol contestant Mario Vazquez is back with another single off of his debut album. Official mixes by Ospina Sullivan will be shipping to DJs soon.

Until then, be on the lookout for the Drew G. Montalvo and Abe Clements "Mary-Thon" Mix. This is an unofficial mix, however, it is of premium quality. Drew G. has been gaining prominence on the NYC scene in the last few months through his remixes and regular spinning engagements at various clubs.

It is a dark, electro, and synthy mix. Clocking in at almost 10 minutes, it is a journey through sound. The vocals come in early enough though. It's full vocals from that point onwards. The vocal effects and loops are really nice and fit the mix well, especially in the middle. The energy of the mix doesn't let up until the end which is a great thing. The few dropouts and beatless portions are quite strategic and could work really well for those creative DJs out there.

The bass-synth hook is quite noteworthy. It is a recreation of the one Junior Vasquez created in his famous mix of "Your Child" by Mary J. Blige. It is not quite as in-your-face as it could have been. It blends in with the whole track quite well.

This mix is a must-listen.

Krystal Cruz - Shadows Of Your Love

Although the original versions by Midnight Society and Corbo & Atchison came out in the early part of 2006, this song was resurrected through a scorching mix by rising mixer Altar.

This new mix immediately gained significant attention when Junior Vasquez played this mix on his Junior's World show on XM Satellite radio in the early Fall. Within just a matter of hours, fans were clamoring to find out the artist and remix info. This song was played several more times to similar fanfare.

After several months, this mix has finally been released through Beatport in a collection of previously unreleased mixes.

This tribal, emotional journey through sound is almost 10 minutes long, but it never feels long enough and beckons to be played over and over. Krystal's amazing vocal delivery is easily one of the best vocals on a club record in the last several months.

Pick up Altar's Love Anthem now!

Akcent - King Of Disco

Romanian boyband Akcent has released several English-language singles in an attempt to break into other countries. Their smash hit "Kylie" which even got the attention of syndicated weekly show Open House Party was their first and only success in the U.S. No additional singles in the U.S. have been issued yet.

"King Of Disco" is a simple Euro-Dance/Pop track with an infectious chorus and fun chorus. This song calls to mind some of the Euro acts of the 90's that managed to break into almost every country, whether or not they were welcome--not always a bad thing. Vengaboys, Aqua, Corona, Ace Of Base and Bad Boys Inc are just some of the artists that come to mind.

This one is definitely worth seeking out if only for the homage to Madonna at the end which is taken further in their campy video.

Nelly Furtado - Say It Right

This was the third single off of Nelly Furtado's critically and commercially acclaimed album Loose. Though this came out a long time ago, many mixes of this have been done, both official and unofficial. This mid-tempo ballad had been a frontrunner for being a single since the album was first released in the Summer of 2006. Many had been clamouring for remixes which came just in the nick of time. Just as it took off on Pop and Rhythmic formats, it got played on Dance stations in the original mix which clocked in at a danceable 123 BPM.

Bad Boy Bill, Friscia & Lamboy and Peter Rauhofer did the official mixes this time around.

Bad Boy Bill's mix was funky house and a bit electro. It did help bring out some of the emotion of the song. It's the most accessible of all the mixes.

Friscia & Lamboy have done a tribal/electro hybrid mix. It's a very simple electro mix. It's a good peak hour mix. This one would work best on Dance radio.

Peter Rauhofer has done three mixes!

Part 1 is a mild tribal/heavy electro mix. There lots of interesting synths and unusual synths. It works really well. Some may find it to be excruciating because of the "clashing" of the synths in some places. It's very unique. This is the big room mix of choice.

Part 2 is also known as the "Trance Anthem." It is a much darker mix. This has the feel of mixes done during Rauhofer's trance experimental phase in the late 90's when he did mixes for Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics and Ayumi Hamasaki. It's not as big room and trancey though as say something Tiesto or Above & Beyond would do. However, it is very uplifting and really brings out further beauty in Nelly's vocals. This is one of Peter's best mixes in a while. And this is the mix of choice for this song.

Part 3 is basically a toned down version of Part 1. It's much shorter and concise. It's not as "schizophrenic" with the "clashing" synths. It bears a striking resemblance to Trentmoller's remix of "What Else Is There" by Roysopp. Peter may have been influenced by that slightly as he has been playing that song for the last several months in his sets. This is really dark and twisted.

There's many unofficial mixes of this song as most DJs wanted to tailor this song for their own sets. Cajjmere Wray, Peter Bailey, Scott Ferguson & Michael Tank and even Junior Vasquez have done mixes.

Cajjmere Wray's mix is very dark and driving. The deep synths and chugging beats give this mix a lot of energy. Quite well done.

Peter Bailey continues in that same vein and his mix is very minimal and sparse. The beats are very simple as is the rest of the production. The real highlight is the rest of the mix. There's some cool synth work and vocal effects. This mix is a bit long, however, some creative DJs could cut it down a minute or two and go between the sparse and complex portions of the mix.

Scott Ferguson & Michael Tank have done a very energetic circuit mix. It's almost appropriate to call this a trance/circuit mix. The synths and driving beats are quite amazing on this one.

And finally there is the mix by Junior Vasquez. His is the newest one of them all. He premiered his new mix at the Onyx event at Pacha in NY this past weekend. It has yet to be heard by the general public. However, those who were in attendance said that the mix was one of the best Junior mixes of the year. There has been some talk of the mix seeing an official release in the future. No further details available at this time.

What remains to be seen is how many mixes will be done for the next single "All Good Things (Come To An End)."

Erasure - I Could Fall In Love With You

This is the comeback single from the Electronica/Rock duo. Culled from their upcoming back-to-their dance roots album is lead single "I Could Fall In Love With You." The original version is quite dancey and calls to mind some of their classics from the 80's. This is a light and airy dance/pop confection.

The real highlight is the Montverde remixes. The mixes are very Euro Hi-NRG lite. They have a very cool, Summer vibe about them. Andy Bell's vocals sound as fresh as they did 20 years ago. Simply smooth and stunning.

Offer Nissim - Forever Tel Aviv

Israeli DJ/remixer/producer has been all over the place these last couple of years whether it be when he is spinning at events, remixing or writing and producing with Maya Simantov. His latest continuous mix compilation will be getting a U.S. release on April 10, 2007 courtesy of NY-based label Star 69. This compilation was released in Israel earlier in the year amidst much fanfare. The compilation was well-received. Some fans outside of Israel went so far as to try to learn basic Hebrew so they could read the script on the Israel websites so they can place an order for the compilation! With a tracklisting like this, it's no surprise!


CD 1
01. Beyonce - One Night Only (Offer Nissim Remix)
02. Suzanne Palmer - Free My Love (Offer Nissim Remix)
03. Robin - The DJ Made Me Do It (Rosario Dub)
04. Beyonce - Deja Vu (Offer Nissim Remix)
05. Groove Connetion - Te Quiero (Kortezman Remix)
06. Kristine W - Be Alright (Offer Nissim Remix)
07. Offer Nissim feat. Maya - Perfect Love (Perfect Club Mix)
08. Suzanne Palmer - Keep The Faith (Offer Nissim Remix)
09. Robinson Valentti - Set Me Free (DJ Fist Remix)
10. Donna Summer - Power Of Love (Offer Nissim Remix)
10. Offer Nissim pres. Fairuz - Eastern Drums (Original Mix)

CD 2
01. Christina Aguilera - Hurt (Offer Nissim Remix)
02. Snake Cedric - A-H-A (Belocca Remix)
03. Outwork feat. Gee - Elektro (Cube Guys & Delano Remix)
04. Sizequeen - Freak (Rauhofer Is A Freak Mix)
05. Offer Nissim feat. Maya - Be My Boyfriend (Original Mix)
06. Offer Nissim feat. Maya - For Your Love (Original Mix)
07. Offer Nissim feat. Alain Chamfort - Manureva 07 (Original Mix)
08. Yinon Yahel - Beatzzz (Dub Mix)
09. Angine Stone - Wish I Didn't Miss You (Offer Nissim Remix)
10. Land Of Voodoo - Bodyshaker (Cajjmere Wray Remix)
11. Offer Nissim pres. Ivri Lider - Nights In White Satin

This compilation primarily features Offer's own mixes as well as some other tracks from Star 69. Many exclusives appear on here. Here's some descriptions of a few of them. He begins with a cool retro-sounding mix of Beyonce's take on "One Night Only" from Dreamgirls. This mix bears a slight resemblance to his mix of Abba's "S.O.S." from last year. "Be Alright" by Kristine W. is an original co-production that Offer has been playing out since last Summer. It has seen no commercial release until now. The unreleased mix of Donna Summer's cover of "Power Of Love" by Luther Vandross is particularly noteworthy. This compilation is worth purchasing for just that song alone. It is absolutely stunning. It is easily one of Offer's best mixes. Another exclusive is Offer's mix of "Hurt." It is quite dark and uplifting. This mix really brings out the emotion of the song that many of the other previously released mixes couldn't. The new track "For Your Love" gets its first commercial release on this collection. The CD maxi with remixes is also out on the same day. This new Maya-vocalled track is one of their best ones. Maya's soaring vocals accompanied by equally stunning synths makes for a great track. The piano breaks are so beautiful. The original plus remixes are available for purchase on Star 69's website. Alain Chamfort's overlooked classic "Manureva" is given the Offer treatment for this collection. It's a very unusual choice of song for remixing for the circuit scene, but it works so well. Another exclusive is the Mediterranean/tribal instrumental track "Beatzzz" by Yinon Yahel, who has worked extensively with Offer. This is a scorching track. Offer's rare mix of "Wish I Didn't Miss You" by Angie Stone is a lot of fun. The choice vocal loops and effects are totally mind-bending. This mix has been a favorite of legendary NY DJ Junior Vasquez for a couple of years now. This one deserves a proper commercial release. It's a nice blend of the underground and the commercial. Closing the compilation is Israeli rock star Ivri Lider's hauntingly beautiful cover of "Nights In White Satin" by the Moody Blues. It's the perfect way to end the compilation.

This is an essential compilation for fans of Offer and for those looking for something a little different. The mixing is sooo smooth that it's hard to tell where the songs start and end. It's nice though.

This is already available for purchase at the Star 69 website and at Perfect Beat. This will be widely available in music stores on April 10, 2007.

Sylvia Tosun - A Day Like Any Other

Rising star Sylvia Tosun is back with a new single from here album. "A Day Like Any Other" is a very simple folkpop kind of song that gets transformed for the clubs by Solar Sun, Jose Spinnin, Alyson Calagna and Twisted Dee. Twisted Dee's mix is the main mix.

Solar Sun's mix is very minimal and electro-sounding. It sounds like something Gabriel & Dresden would do. Sylvia's vocals just float beautifully over the bare production. Minimalism is sometime the best thing. This one is the most laid-back of the bunch.

Jose Spinnin's mix is a lot more anthemic and synthy. This one is perfect for peak hour play.

Alyson Calagna's mix is anthemic as well, however it is much harder and a lot more driving. This sounds like an afterhours type of track that would fit in well with Victor Calderone, Chus & Ceballos and Richie Santana records.

Twisted Dee's mix is very in-between and would lend itself well to house and circuit sets for all times of the day and night. This is the most accessible.

All mixes are currently available on Beatport, Juno and Hammer Music.

The following mixes are available at this time:
Solar Sun Vocal Mix
Jose Spinnin Wants You To Stay Mix
Alyson Calagna's Dreaming of Her Mix
Twisted Dee Original Mix

Måns Zelmerlöw - Cara Mia

Måns became a household name when he originally competed on Swedish Idol in 2005, finishing in 5th place.

Just in time for Melodifestavalen, he has a hot dance/pop single called "Cara Mia." Måns gives a great emotion-filled performance on this song. Totally amazing. PJ Harmony and Perra provide the remixes. PJ Harmony's Day and Nite mixes are exactly what they say they are. Both are simple electro-house. The Day one is a little more peak hour and the Nite one is better for later. Perra's mix is in the same vein as some of the hard stuff AATW's in-house mixers such as Friday Night Posse and Alex K do. It's nice though. Check this one out ASAP.

Forever Freestyle

Although only new releases are generally reviewed here, this is a new release of older classics. MusicSpace, the people that brought us such dance collections as Fired Up! and Pulse put forth this new collection called Forever Freestyle which contains various freestyle classics that have not been included on previous compilation series.

As expected, it's a collection of unmixed radio/single versions of some very carefully selected hits. This one includes 18 of them.

Here is the tracklisting:

01. Sweet Sensation - Sincerely Yours
02. Seduction - Two To Make It Right
03. Cover Girls - Show Me
04. Exposé - Point Of No Return
05. George LaMond - Bad Of The Heart
06. Lisette Melendez - Together Forever
07. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam With Full Force - Can You Feel The Beat
08. Shannon - Let The Music Play
09. Linear - Sending All My Love
10. Company B - Fascinated
11. TKA - Maria
12. Cynthia & Johnny O - Dream Boy/Dream Girl
13. Stacey Q - Two Of Hearts
14. Nice & Wild - Diamond Girl
15. Exposé - Come Go With Me
16. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam With Full Force - I Wonder If I Take You Home
17. Stevie B. - Spring Love
18. Rockell - In A Dream

This collection contains only a fraction of all the great songs that came out in what was the Freestyle era. The 18 songs that were chosen for this collection are quite good. All of these songs were pretty major hits and they span across most of the Freestyle era. No obscure album tracks or B-sides were chosen.

Some songs are in their original single or radio mix versions. A few were edited down from longer lengths for this collection. For some of them, it is very obvious that they were edited down, and for some it was not necessary as there's still almost 6 minutes on the CD that could have been filled with more music. Maybe even one more song. The sound quality of all the tracks is great.The only problems are with the last two tracks. With Stevie B.'s "Spring Love", it's not the same version that was played on the radio or the clubs. It's a whole other version. The vocals sound different and the instrumental production is different too. It seems that this one is from another collection, perhaps a greatest hits album where new vocals had to be recorded because of licensing and original rights issues. Then with Rockell's "In A Dream", it sounds like it came from a continuously mixed compilation. The beginning has remnants of another song. And the ending is faded instead of the cold ending in the original, possibly because another song was being mixed in at the end. Aside from those two obvious problems, the collection as a whole is so well done that the problems can be overlooked. It is worth noting that those are tucked in a the end. This is good for the casual listener or for the car.

The edition currently being sold in stores is a single disc compilation while the one sold on MusicSpace is 2 discs. It has additional songs, however, there's less songs per disc.

Randy Friess featuring VButterfly - Rotation (The Drums Are Alive)

Rising star Randy Friess is back with another club anthem that is sure to rock the dancefloor and elicit screams of joy!

The remixing talent on this one includes Alexander & Mark VDH, Klubjumpers, William Umana, Mor Avrahami, Therapy, Pleasure Center and last but not least, Guido Osorio. Guido's mix is to be released later on when the commercial and digital singles are shipped.

All the mixes are top notch and deliver various degrees of circuitness. A&M VDH's are a little lighter, KJ's is more peak hour, Umana's are good for afterhours, Avrahami's is a good set starter with that lovely synthy intro, Therapy and Pleasure Center's deviate a bit from the circuit sound and are more accessible for mixshow and house set play. Randy's warm vocals soar over this A&M VDH production. This one should be all over the place by Pride. Another winner from HMSP Music.

Ultra Naté - Automatic

Yes. This is a cover of the Pointer Sisters classic. This is just one of many remakes Tommy Boy Records has released in the last few months. This one is definitely worth listening to.

Ultra does a fine job of covering this song. There's a handful of mixes. But the Digital Dog Mix and Radio Mix are the ones to be listened to first. The Radio Mix is a nice electro-house track with a bit of an old-school, yet modern sound. The Digital Dog Mix is a lot more electro and harder. It basically could be considered the main club mix. Both are very true to the original while bringing a lot of freshness.

This one will soon be blowing up all over Dance radio and in the clubs so don't miss out on this gem.

Lenny B featuring Lyle - What Hurts The Most

This is the dance cover of the song Rascal Flatts made huge last year in the Country music scene. A rumored dance mix of the original never did actually surface, however, there had been much buzz that someone would remake this for the clubs and Dance radio. Sure enough, it's here.

This one comes courtesy of clubland legend Lenny Bertoldo with the vocal talent of Lyle. This cover is a stunning Euro-Dance track without all the cheesiness that some covers of this nature possess. It's very tasteful and gets better with each listen.

This one has just begun to gain momentum in clubland on Dance radio and in the clubs. A commercial release is to occur via iTunes and Beatport in the next few weeks. The edit and club mix have appeared on Promo Only and Ultimix DJ services respectively in the last month.

Ceevox - Music Is My Life

This song has been getting a lot of play from Junior Vasquez since last Fall. This finally got released a couple of weeks ago on the JVM label. This beautiful ode to music gets the remixing treatments by Junior Vasquez.

Ceevox's soulful vocal performance just soars over this amazing production in the Junior's Immaculate Mix. And immaculate it is. It's very classy, sophisticated and calls to mind some of the great house that came out in the 90's and early 2000's. There's a dub, instrumental, beats and a "keyapella" also. On it's own, the pella is just a joy to listen to.

This one really needs no other remixes as this one is the perfect blend of house and circuit and would work in both environments effortlessly. It's perfect. One of the best vocal releases from JVM in a while. Here's to hoping for some more gems like this.

All these mixes can be purchased at Beatport.

NSA featuring RuPaul - Computer Love

The search for love online is the subject of this campy new single fronted by RuPaul. The lyrics are relatively simple throwaway-ish. But this is worth a listen for a chuckle or two. This one is already a favorite of Junior Vasquez's. He has been playing this in his mixshow the last few weeks. Matt Piso's mix is the one he has been playing.

The CD promo comes with 4 mixes.

01. M@t!'s Lubed & Ready Mix (9:41)
02. Backroom Mix (7:21)
03. My Girlfriend's Out Of Town Mix (9:04)
04. No Recip Mix (8:49)

Matt Piso's M@t!'s Lubed & Ready Mix is quite housey and straightforward. It has that same sort of vibe that Fumi Kondoh brings in mixes that he engineers. The Backroom mix is much harder and darker. This one sounds good turned up loud late at night. The My Girlfriend's Out Of Town one is hard but a lot more electro. The No Recip mix is hard and electro too. There's some really interesting synth elements that are very "scary" sounding. It's cool though.

Overall, this one is good as a novelty track. This one lacks the timelessness that many other RuPaul tracks have had but it's still better than some of what is out there.

2-4 Grooves - The Way I Do

This is a cover of the Melissa Etheridge song from a few years ago. The original is a simple electro-dance pop track. There's a few mixes. For the U.S. release on Tommy Boy, Junior Vasquez has done a mix. His mix has a slight electro slant to it, channeling the original 2-4 Grooves track, however, it's got that deep bassline that Junior is known for having in his productions and tracks. His mix uses all the vocals and isn't repetitve. The Radio Mix is very short and concise. It's almost 4 minutes long, but it's a well-done 4 minute edit. The full mix is just a lovely extension of this. Alternate between the original and Junior mixes to keep it fresh. Look for this one in the next few weeks.

Diana Ross - Touch Me In The Morning (2007 Mixes)

The timing of the release of these mixes is impeccable! Diana Ross appeared on Fox's American Idol last week to give singing advice and coaching to the twelve hopefuls. And these new mixes of her classic "Touch Me In The Morning" help to reintroduce Ms. Ross to the masses. It hasn't been that long though. This song has stood the test of time and sounds fresh in its latest incarnation. UK-based Almighty provide the mixes this time round. They're reworkings of older classics can be hit or miss sometimes because it is often very difficult to recapture the "magic" that is in the originals in the new mixes. This time round, they have succeeded. The result is a stellar hi-nrg anthem. It is not over the top as one may expect it to be. It's very melodic and beautiful. The vocal mixes contain full vocals. Diana's original vocals sound so fresh that one would think that she had just recorded them yesterday. This is reportedly just the first of many other Diana Ross remixes that are in the works right now. There have been rumors going around about a full Almighty remix collection of Diana's classics. No confirmation yet, but if it happens, it will probably really awesome.

CD promo tracklisting:
01. 7'' Almighty Mix (5:59)
02. 12'' Almighty Mix (7:02)
03. Almighty Instrumental (7:01)

Christina Aguilera - Tell Me Misstereee

This is a mashup of Diddy (aka Sean Combs) and Christina Aguilera's "Tell Me" with Cajjmere Wray featuring Mina's "Misstereee" that has become a big deal during the last few weeks. Israeli DJ Offer Nissim has been playing this unusual creation at his last few gigs. This was just one of the many highlights of Offer's set during the closing party at Roxy in New York last week. Up and coming remixer/producer/DJ Ronen Mizrahi's remix of "Misstereee" was used as the instrumental for this unique track. It takes a short segment of Christina's "Tell Me" vocals and turns it into this cool dub. Vocal samples from the original Cajjmere track have been left in. It works quite well. A short sample of this mix can be heard here.

Beyoncé & Shakira - Beautiful Liar (Remixes)

This is the much-awaited collaboration between two of today's hottest pop stars. Beyoncé originally recorded this song alone last year during the B'Day sessions, however, it did not make the final cut. After some reconsidering, they decided on doing a duet with Shakira. The main version is a hybrid of R&B and the sultry pop-friendly Middle Eastern sounds Shakira has brought on her tracks. The original Beyoncé-only version had such a feel that Shakira would sound perfect on it, and now it's here. Beyoncé and Shakira take turns singing about their up-to-no-good man on this song. They sound so sexy together. The music video reflects this also.

Dance remixes by Freemasons and Maurice Joshua transform this R&B clubbanger for the other clubs.

Promo tracklisting:

01. Original Version (3:20)
02. Freemasons Radio Vox (3:29)
03. Freemasons Club Vox (10:06)
04. Freemasons Club Edit (7:33)
05. Freemasons Dub Vox (9:39)
06. Freemasons Dub Instrumental (9:39)
07. Maurice Joshua New Main (6:05)
08. Maurice Joshua New Instrumental (6:03)

Freemasons bring forth their usual sophisticated retro-chic house style. They move away from the Middle Eastern sound that was in the original. They do bring in some hot Latin elements including a Spanish guitar, castanets, and conga drums. A cheeky little vocal sample from that "Coolie Song" which had its instrumental sampled in countless songs in 2004 has a short vocal sample brought in during some of the vocal portions along with some Indian sitar samples. It's a nice mixture of sounds. The Club Vox mix is an epic mix clocking in at over 10 minutes. It's done in that classic "journey" style of the disco era. It just builds and builds, layer upon layer throughout the track. It's very beautiful. The Club Edit cuts the track down to size making it more manageable for mixshow and not-so-patient club DJs that may not be able to accommodate a mix of that length. The Dub Vox and Dub Instrumental mixes are quite enjoyable as well. These may work better later in the evening. The Radio Vox is a nice tight version of the song that preserves the feel of the longer version in under 4 minutes. Although, the full one is amazing enough that one may want to listen to that instead because it doesn't feel like it goes on forever.

Maurice Joshua delivers a set of soulful/lite Latin house mixes. The pianos, bassline and Latin instruments that come in during the second half of the track really make this mix memorable. The instrumental version is amazing on its own as well. This one differs greatly from what Maurice generally delivers.

Overall, all of these mixes are worth your time. Don't miss out on this massive new one.

The album version will be included on the upcoming re-release of Beyoncé's B'Day. Some of the Freemasons and Maurice Joshua mixes may become available on forthcoming CD singles in the UK and elsewhere.

Sunblock feat. Sandy - Baby Baby

This is the third single from the Swedish duo who topped the charts last year with "First Time" and "I'll Be Ready." Remaking Corona's mid 90's hit, Sunblock hopes to repeat history and top the charts again. The vocals are done by Sandy Chambers who originally recorded them for the Corona track.

For the release of the digital and commercial singles, there's already some mixes. Aside from the funky electro house radio edit and extended mixes, there's a little something for everyone. Ian Carey's mix has a lot of filtering effects and is much more electro than the original. This will be right at home with all those Fedde Le Grand and Soul Seekerz tracks out now. DJ DLG's mix is in a similar vein. It's a bit darker and more dubbish. The Audiophiles Remix is much housier than the original and looses some of the electro edge. Friday Night Posse's mix is very uplifting while it is aggressive. The vocals used are a bit different than the ones on the other mixes. It works better though. Frisco's mix is a breath of fresh air. It's not too hard and not too aggressive. This has soaring synths and keeps the feel-good vibe of the other mixes.

Overall, this one is a totally solid. This will be released in April as both a digital download and CD maxi.

Tracklisting:

01. Radio Edit (3:23)
02. Extended) (4:49)
03. Ian Carey Mix (6:18)
04. DJ DLG Remix (8:01)
05. Audiophiles Remix (8:03)
06. Friday Night Posse Remix (7:24)
07. Frisco Remix (5:47)

There are three music videos for this one. There's the main one, the X-rated on and the one with the guys in it.

Beyoncé - Listen (Remixes)

This song from both the Dreamgirls soundtack and Beyoncé's own album B'Day has gotten remix treatments.

Maurice Joshua, DJ Escape & Dom Capello, and Mike Cruz are the remixing talent.

Maurice's mix is a simple, garden variety house mix. It completely lacks the energy a song of this nature requires to make the listener truly feel the song. The other two mixers deliver the anthems.

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding DJ Escape & Dom Capello's mix since October of 2006 when it first became known that they had worked on it. It was definitely worth the wait. Their mix is a powerful club anthem that works particularly well. It's dark, but uplifting. It's exactly what was needed. There's both a radio and club mix. The radio version has been edited so well that one would get the same effect that the longer mix initiates. Rarely do radio mixes generate that particular feeling.

Mike Cruz's mix is a lot more housey. It bridges the gap between circuit house and more peak hour stuff. This one may take some getting used to as it's not the usual cookie cutter mix. It has some interesting twists and turns. They're a bit experimental, but they work quite well.

Overall, the last two are the ones to go with.

Pink - Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)

This overseas single from her 4th album I'm Not Dead finally gets some remixes. This one has been screaming to be released as a single and be remixed, and both wishes have been granted.

Digital Dog provide a club and radio edit that are just pure perfection. The Radio Edit contains full vocals while the Club mix has less vocals making it more of a dub. Pink's vocals sound really good over this house/disco-lite production. It's a shame no full vocal club mix was done.

Now if only Pink would do more songs that are this dancey in their main mixes.

Ciara - Like A Boy (Remixes)

This 3rd single from Ciara's sophomore effort Evolution gets the remixing treatment via her label in the UK. Soul Seekerz and Kardinal Beats provide the mixes.

Soul Seekerz provide a Radio, Club and Dub. Their mixes give the song the much-needed energy that was missing from the original version. These just work so well. This new production helps make Ciara sound much better.

Kardinal Beats provide a nice UK garage/borderline R&B/hip-hop mix that does what it's supposed to do.

It's all about the Soul Seekerz mixes this time

Magnus Carlsson - Live Forever

This former member of Swedish dance act Alcazar has been entering in Melodifestavalen pretty regularly for the last several years.

"Live Forever" is a simple Dance/Pop track in its main mix. With its infectious chorus, it would be quite difficult to this and not sing along. The familiar vocals are great as usual.

SoundFactory provides the remixes that take this one up a notch. They really complement the song and make it ready for the clubs, however, only an extended mix of the original was really needed. But these mixes are great.

Magnus also recorded this song in French and Spanish in an effort to get this song to appeal to non-English-speaking audiences, and appeal, it definitely will. There is also a Swedish version which will not be on this single.

The CD single for this will be released on March 9, 2007 in Sweden with the following tracklisting.

01. Live Forever (Original Version)
02. Siempre A Tú Lado {Spanish Version)
03. J'ai Vivrai (French Version)
04. Live Forever (SoundFactory Radio Mix)
05. Live Forever (SoundFactory Eternal Club Mix)
06. Live Forever (SoundFactory Damnation Dub Mix)