The 64th Episode of our Label Lovers series is a very very special one, coming from the mastermind Jimpster, celebrating 25 years of Freerange!

The world of dance music 25 years ago was a very different place from the one we now inhabit. Rave had transitioned through Hardcore into Drum & Bass whilst UK Garage was brewing nicely and the UK pop = charts were full of underground dance records. Meanwhile, the likes of Mo Wax, Ninjatune and Compost were pushing away from the dancefloors, introducing blunted beats, jazz-fusion sonics and a whole new movement to electronic music. It was into this atmosphere that Freerange was born, a UK label that reaches its quarter-century this year. At the helm over the last 25 years has been the partnership of childhood friends Tom Roberts and Jamie ‘Jimpster’ Odell.

It’s been a long and eventful journey, from an era of 56k modems, faxed reaction reports and when DJs still bought actual records, Freerange has weathered many storms and sailed through some of the most revolutionary changes to hit the music industry. Through those 25 years, and like the proverbial comforting sound of Bob Ross’ voice, Jimpster’s own music and those artists he releases through the label remain a constantly reliable, not to mention dance floor-smashing presence through the ups and downs of the house music continuum.

This Anthology brings together some of Jimpster’s finest productions across two double pack vinyl LPs from the preceding two and a half decades, showcasing his detailed approach to production and proving why he continues to thrive in the current scene, continuing to be held in high regard by many of the founding fathers of house music and young up and coming producers alike.

Check out the latest release here, and enjoy his stellar Label Lovers showcase below >> Anthology Volumes One & Two

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Tracklist:

Rod Hatcher - Stay Away
Pat Bedeau - Dance Of The Inca's (Atjazz Love Soul Remix)
D-Ren - Female
DJ Merci - Saturday Night Jam
Cave Dwellers - Seven Oh Seven
Lex & Locke - Cabo Pulmo 
Gigi Testa - Is This The Future
Hamza Rahimtula - Timbuktu
Earth Boys - Hush
Cumhur Jay - Courage International
Last Nubian - Share Your Path
Bellaire - Daytime (Session Victim Remix)
Soichi Terada - Diving Into Minds

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Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

The 63rd Episode of our Label Lovers series comes from SoCal’s own, Deep Tech Los Angeles!

Redux Saints aka Jason Trevor Miller is best known for his contemporary tech house vibes, full flavour basslines and trademark ‘thicc beats’. An accomplished DJ and producer, as well as label head and A&R of Deep Tech Los Angeles Records, Redux Saints is a man on a mission to bring quality underground house and techno to the masses.

After a dance music education on the four-to-the-floor clubs in his birthplace of Chicago, alongside a love of the euphoric melodic phrases of acts like Danny Howells, Tiesto, Paul Oakenfold, Sasha and Digweed, his productions developed a unique duality. Jason formed Redux Saints in late 2015 after moving to Los Angeles. An alumni of the Icon Collective Music Production School, and the first US graduate from the intensive Toolroom Academy Masterclass program, his music has been resonating with fans and industry alike, ever since.

Deep Tech Los Angeles Records continues to assert itself at the forefront of the underground with the release of Deep Tech Lockdown Sessions Vol.3. Here, our label head Redux Saints assembles a collection of six tracks spanning tech house, melodic techno and progressive house from a new generation of producers.

Kicking off the mix with the opening track ‘Bad Like Me’, Redux Saints teases his upcoming release coming April 9th on DTLA.  The mix also features all six tracks from Deep Tech Lockdowns Sessions Vol. 3.  A wonderful showcase of the label’s sound and style!

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Tracklist:

01 Redux Saints - Bad Like Me (Extended Mix)
02 Chapter & Verse - Make You Sweat (Extended Mix)
03 D.Ramirez - Psycho - (Extended Mix)
04 Kuestenklatsch - Breakdown (Extended Mix)
05 Redux Saints - Take Me Up (Club Mix)
06 Shayne Fontaine, Shane C - Chants of India (Extended Mix)
07 Matt Caseli - No Sound No Sex (Extended Mix)
08 Phil Perez - Bring The House (Extended Mix)
09 Kristi Yang - Mothership (Extended Mix)
10 Notorious Lynch 'Groover (Extended Mix)
11 Guest Who, Red Dynasty - Heart Beating (Extended Mix)
12 AC Lights - Saints (Instrumental Mix)
13 Placebo eFx - Running (Instrumental Mix)
14 Sabeel Chohan - Elysium (Extended Mix)
15 Charles D (USA) - Amplify (Original Mix)


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Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

Episode 62 of our Label Lovers series comes from the massive UK-based label, Perfect Havoc.

Adam Griffin is no stranger to the music industry. A club promoter and a keen DJ during the early 90’s playing and hosting parties at pivotal London venues such as The Cross and Hanover Grand, he went on to cut his teeth at esteemed record labels. He played senior roles at imprints like RCA where he was responsible for commissioning remixes and product managing numerous releases, and then clocking up 11 years in marketing at INCredible – Sony’s influential dance label –looking after major artists from Beyoncé to Faithless.

After years of commercial and underground experience, Griffin co-founded Perfect Havoc in 2015 alongside Robert Davies. Together they created a template for a modern 360-degree music business with record label, artist management, club nights and publishing arm, Organized Chaos.

Based out of Hoxton, London, Perfect Havoc has a breaking talent roster including Tobtok, Karen Harding, Mahalo, Just Kiddin and Parx and an impressive global stream count that has now broken the one billion streams barrier. With an acute ear for both underground and mainstream hits, Griffin has licensed to the overground, on majors including Atlantic and Columbia, to the underground on Toolroom Records and Kitsune.

Perfect Havoc now holds three UK Top 10 singles, including the fifth biggest selling single in the UK in 2020 with Joel Corry & MNEK ‘Head & Heart’.

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Tracklist:

1. Redondo & Adam Griffin ft. Cally Rhodes - Neon Boulevard (Instrumental)
2. Kydus - When Am With You ft. Jetsome (Kinetic Mix)
3. Simon Field x Adam Griffin ft. Clare Sophia - So Cold (Dub)
4. Kokiri x Jem Cooke x Todd Terry - So Free (Instrumental)
5. Shahin Shantiaei - The Court
6. Tom Hall ft. Kate Wild - Go Down Fighting (Instrumental)
7. Joel Corry x Mnek - Head & Heart (Vintage Culture & Fancy Inc. Instrumental Remix)
8.Mahalo x Milkwish - Love On A Real Train
9. Farfetch'd - Pick Sides
10. Simon Field ft. Yasmin Jane - Sirens (Tube & Berger Instrumental Remix)
11. Ruff Club, Fizzo & Jay ft. Mila Falls - Go All Night
12. Nathan C & Franklin - Live For The Weekend
13. Todd Terry, James Hurr & Adam Griffin - Don't Overthink It
14. Tobtok & Adam Griffin - Amara 


Follow Perfect Havoc on | Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud | Twitter

Follow Adam Griffin on | Twitter | Instagram


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Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

Episode 61 of our Label Lovers series comes courtesy of the legendary Glasgow Underground founder, Kevin McKay.

In his latest, boss-man Kevin McKay links with vocalist Rozie Gyems to serve up another dancefloor gem; a lush house version of Sade’s essential 90s hit ‘Nothing Can Come Between Us’ out on 27 th November. This lands as McKay sits at #3 in Beatport’s overall chart with ‘Work It’ and his label is awarded Beatport’s label of the month for December. It also follows his previous edit of Sade’s ‘Pearls’ (GU’s 500th release) as he continues to artfully revamp older tracks to make them accessible for modern club settings. The deep groove and cool contemporary edge of this sound has seen upfront DJ support on the latest single from respected names like Wankelmut, John Morales, Claptone, Robert Owens amongst many others. Stream it here: https://gu.lnk.to/nothing

McKay is still enjoying the success of his artist-focused, full-length DJ mix album ‘Summer Of Love’ which landed back in September. The 15-track collection featured tracks conceived, produced or remixed (or remixes commissioned) by McKay and was a fine reflection of what to expect from one of his in-demand DJ sets. Singles and remixes from the album including ‘Freak Like Me’, the Qubiko remix of ‘Save Me’ and ‘Gimme Gimme’ all hit the top 20 on Beatport and picked up millions of streams. Now with ‘Work It’ also riding high it rounds off a standout year for the much-loved producer.

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Tracklist:

Dubeats & Bondar - Through Changes
Gruuve - Cloud
T.Markakis - That Jazz Feeling
Flashmob - Deeper Underground (Kevin McKay Remix)
Sam Dexter - Catch Ur Eye
Stanny Abram - Amellebuee
Kevin McKay - Work it
Paul Sirrell ft. Lana C. - Touch Me (Kevin McKay Remix)
Kevin McKay, Lee Cabrera ft. Bleech - Gimme Gimme (Club Mix)
Harvee - Take It Back (Kevin McKay Edit)
Kevin McKay - Move Your Body (Elevation) (Kevin's 2020 ViP)
Moreno Pezzolato - Sing It Back

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Follow Glasgow Underground at GlasgowUnderground.com | Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud | Youtube

Follow Kevin McKay on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

Episode 60 of our Label Lovers series comes from the disco tastemaker, Sean Brosnan, representing Future Disco.

Future Disco celebrated their 10th anniversary last year with a freshly branded look and a continued commitment to curating the finest disco around. They step up now in 2020 with their thirteenth LP in the series, which once again features striking cover art that steps on perfectly from last year’s critically acclaimed ’Technicolour Nights’. ‘Visions of Love’ draws on the story of unity, tapping into the disco vein that links the dancefloors of early 80s New York to the early raves of the acid house era and their shared message of a ‘Vision of Love’.

The man behind the iconic London-based label, Sean Brosnan, is a highly respected DJ and producer who has travelled the globe, entertaining endless terrace and club events as he goes. It is however, his skills as selector, A&R and disco connoiseur that have brought such acclaim to the Future Disco series since it’s inception in 2009, something he continues to build on now with a selection that perfectly reflects the sound of disco in this new decade. Brosnan also offer up 3 exclusive Future Disco edits which appear here for the first time.

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Tracklist:

Black Hawks Of Panama - unknown 
Saison - Art Of Optimism
Sirs – Nightwind (Austin Ato Remix)
Renato Cohen – Your Love
Kid Crème – Funk Particle
Ekkah – Giving Up On (Alan Dixon Remix)
Palavas – Lional Lechi
Lifelike & Alex Rossi – Italo Amore (Musumeci Edit)
Mix & Fairbanks – ID
ID – ID
Ten Ven – Robinson Crusoe

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Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

Yet another massive episode of the label lovers, this one geared for the classic and deep house heads, mixed by Marc Cotterell repping his legendary imprint Plastik People!

Plastik People Recordings is underground vinyl label out of Albuqerque, New Mexico, USA. Founded in 2012, Plastik People focuses on underground deep house & US house & garage. Their roots are firmly set in their love for the house music of the 90’s!

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Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

The Label Lovers mix series returns with episode 57 coming to us from Pepe Mateos!

Never 100% focused on one style and convinced that in the fusion of styles an infinite richness can be found, Pepe Mateos has long been releasing tracks that surprise and delight on the dance floor.

He has the support of many great artists on the scene, including Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Erick Morillo, Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Stacey Pullen, Joseph Capriati, Yousef. And just to mention a few. It also has a record label called “Flow Musique” which invites both established and new artists with good new ideas. He has released music on major labels such as Circus Recordings, Little Helpers, Toolroom, Time Has Changed, Oblack and his release schedule remains constant.  All the while, he’s continued to curate a stellar catalog for Flow Musique, which you’ll hear in this mix.

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Tracklist:

1- Pepe Mateos – Dream Once (Original mix) [FML036]
2- Pepe Mateos – Old School (Gianluca Caldareli remix) [FML023]
3- Pepe Mateos – Scarface (Original Mix) [FML003]
4- Pepe Mateos – No Prophet no Land (Santos Resiak remix) [FML012]
5- Pepe Mateos, Davirus – Back Home Down (Original Mix) [FML014]
6- Jayro – Scoopy (Original mix) [FML024]
7- Pepe Mateos – Hard Money (Someone Else remix) [FML018]
8- GruuvElement’s – Good mood (Frink Remix) [FML011]
9- Pepe Mateos – Sinsang (Denite dub remix) [FML036]
10- Pepe Mateos – Make Tension (Original mix) [FML27]
11- Pepe Mateos – No Prophet no land (Marcelo Cura remix) [FML012]
12- Enrico Bellan, Allesandro diruggiero – Red beer (Original mix) [FML034]
13- Pepe Mateos – No Prophet no land (Marcelo Cura remix) [FML012]
14- Carlos Pulido, Lopezhouse – Black Creepers (Pepe Mateos Remix) [FML013]
15- GruuvElement’s – Good Mood (Pepe Mateos Remix) [FML011]
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Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

The Label Lovers mix series is back with our 56th episode courtesy of Kered!

Kered has released music on acclaimed labels such as Definitive Recordings and Nervous Records, ultimately embarking on his own journey to create Loot Recordings. With a passion for discovering new sounds and the never-ending search for great music, Loot Recordings has become a platform for new artists to release their music together with established artists who have become a part of the label’s roster. While the label does feature many new names in dance music, there are also more established recognizable names featured on the label as well. DJ support includes Newman, Blond:ish, Laurent Garnier, Davide Squillace, Joris Voorn, Armen Miran, Nick Warren, Hernan Cattaneo, Satoshi Tomiie, Yokoo, Hector Romero and more.

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Tracklist:

01. Alex van Ratingen – Float
02. TRU. – Trachyt (Mira & Chris Schwarzwalder Remix)
03. Krissky – Mind Over Matter
04. Viktop – Matters
05. Nodo & Mule (ARG) – Ambar (Viktop Remix)
06. Robin Fett – Melodies in F#
07. Silence Path – Nebula (Quatri Remix)
08. Yoni Yarchi – The Subconscious
09. Never More – Yes To Love
10. Filtergeist – Invocation (INVŌKER Remix)
11. Filtergeist – Deja Vu

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Turn it up & enjoy!

–DuBeats

We are incredibly excited to bring you the 55th episode of the Label Lovers mix series, featuring one of the most prolific, and well known imprints in the world, elrow Music!

Run by Domingo Bellot, aka De La Swing, elrow music has been on the forefront of electronic music since 2012, while the elrow party brand has been successfully throwing the wildest parties in the world since 2008.

We had a chance to sit down with De La Swinga and have a chat with him about the history of the label, his take on the shift in sound in the scene, and where he sees the future of the imprint going. Make sure to check out the interview below the break!

Without further adieu, we proudly bring you Label Lovers #055 mixed by De La Swing!

Interview:

Hi Domi! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us about elrow music! Let’s start with a bit of the label’s history. When did you decide to start elrow music as an imprint, and what was the artistic direction behind it?

Hello guys! Thanks to all Music 4 Lovers team for the interest in knowing a bit more about elrow Music label!

elrow Music (elrow spelled all in lower caps) was born in mid 2012, with the main objective of releasing music from the brand’s residents. Something as basic as each artist from elrow roster sending his/her music to the office. But there wasn’t anyone fully dedicated to the task of organizing the label, until I volunteered for the task. In that moment, the label started signing up to the different platforms and digital stores, start contact with distributors, schedule releases and ask for the artwork designs to the in-house designer. In that time, nobody knew how a real music label worked and it started in a selfless way, but at the same time there wasn’t an established music criteria, a unified brand image, didn’t do any kind of promo or PR of the releases… Music was just being uploaded to the cloud…

By the end of 2013 I decided to volunteer and start managing the label. I prepared a market plan, with consolidating a sound that had elrow’s DNA as first objective. A sound that gave a glimpse of the craziness of its parties. But also there were other things to take care of, like homogenizing our cover arts, getting music from the artist that we elrow residents liked, that use to come often to elrow’s parties. But it wasn’t easy. At first many didn’t want to collaborate with the label, so I decided to post a promo mail address, to take demos from unknown producers, and little by little the label started to take a little of color…

By summer 2016, we had the great fortune of releasing an amazing Ki Creighton EP, with Max Chapman and Waze & Odyssey’s remixes. I met the guys a few months before that, and told them I was managing the label and that I needed a push, because the releases weren’t getting much attention. But their release of four tracks was an absolute success! Next month I was in New York and woke up to the news that elrow Music was Top 1 in the tech-house charts with Max Chapman’s ‘Body Jack’. That day I was jumping in joy all day, knowing that after 3 years of hard work, my job was starting to pay off.

Thanks to that Nº1 in Beatport, we started receiving pretty cool demos, from artists like Paco Osuna, Technasia, Supernova, Solardo, Hector Couto, Cloonee, Bontan, Hauswerks, The Mekanism, Reelow, Matt Tolfrey and more. The musical line also started having a clear homogeneity and, without realizing it, the label had a true identity, new and more elaborated covers and we started signing the releases to promo pools through our distributor.

On Christmas I woke up to a very special mail, with 3 demos from Camelphat & Mat.Joe. I think I listened to it about 15 times straight, and I hit the doors of the studios of CAAL and Baum (we are studio neighbors), to show them what would be elrow Music’s next step. And from that release onwards, the label start playing in the major leagues. We now had an established label and learning all of that on-the-move, self-teaching ourselves, was the part of the experience that I most treasure about running elrow’s label.

In Mach 2018, Agus Arbol (Baum), former A&R from Suara, knocked on my door and proposed me to work together. He knew I had less and less time because of touring (from 12 to 14 dates a month), and I instantly said “Yes, please!”. In just a few months, Agus took the label to the next level. He has taught me the professional guidelines and he has supported me very much in my idea what kind of musical selection the label should have. We form a very good team till today, with almost 200 references in the catalogue.

We’ve seen a continuous success in all the releases the imprint has put out. What is it that you look for in a track when you’re considering signing it?

elrow Music is, mainly, a tech house label, but it opens it doors to house, minimal, disco, deep and even techno. But the main ingredients for these records to be published by us are groove, energy and fun. We like to complete our B-Sides with a different kind of tracks, something original and eclectic. We don’t care to risk a bit if we feel that the producer wanted to innovate, with common sense of course.

Over the last few years we’ve seen house and tech house start to change, and artists’ sound shift into different sub-genres. Do you see the sound of elrow also starting to change? If so, where do you see it going?

I have been directing elrow Music almost 9 years now and its obvious that music has changed. It has been like different cycles, with each year seeming like the housier side of the spectrum is back, with disco influences and higher BPMs; the other with a bigger techno presence and tech house artist adapt themselves using acid and distorted sounds; or this last year, in which the minimal or deep tech spectrum hit hard. In my opinion, over the last 2-3 years we have had burnt that UK tech house sound – very electric – and now we’re back to the minimalist expressions, which is more timeless and is always coming back. That, of course, excluding what you can see in big festival stages, for more than 2-3 thousand people, where the crowds ask for a more mainstream style and selection.

Having said that, and with Baum’s help, in the last year we’ve been selecting demos with a more underground type of tech house sound, that respects the ingredients that are key in elrow Music’s sound signature: groove, joy and fun.

Last year you started a sub-label elrow Limited. Can you give us some info on that, and what were some of the reasons for starting that imprint?

elrow Limited was born in March 2019. Something is happening in the scene and the sounds are changing. We are starting to get really cool demos from the most minimal / deep tech / deep house spectrum, but that we can’t release in elrow Music, because first, we don’t to compromise the musical line of the label. Second, we don’t have enough slots to release so much music and we don’t want to saturate the label, maintaining our 2-releases-a-month policy. And third, the idea of opening a new label, with a more underground identity, gives us a wider scope to start watching producers that are not directly tied to the tech house sound.

Let’s talk about the future. Over the next 2-3 years, where do you see the creative and artistic direction and sound of both elrow Music and elrow Limited going?

I think that the new cycle for the scene started by mid-2019. These cycles, most of the times, invoke new talents or artists that grow very fast in very little time. They bring a fresh sound and revolutionize ravers. This last year, many new artist have come to light, the most clear example are Dutch artists that were in the shadows, and nowadays are in DJ booths all over the world.

Agus and I are going to keep reflecting this changes in elrow Music, but without altering the label’s DNA. As far as elrow Limited, we can allow ourselves to be more purist, because its identity is just about that.

Lastly, if you had to choose five tracks that truly embody the sound and vibe of elrow, which ones would you choose?

1. Ki Creighton – House Season (Waze & Odyssey’s I Wanna Party Mix)

2. Kinnerman – Horns & Hats (Original Mix)

3. Secondcity – History Of Groove (Technasia Remix)

4. Mendo – Sirena (Original Mix)

5. Lorenzo De Blanck – Somebody (Original Mix)

LISTEN

Tracklist:

1. Rendher, Taco – Grosso Modo (Original Mix)
2. Londonground – Circuito (Original Mix)
3. Matt Tolfrey – Jazz Hands (Original Mix)
4. Luca Donzelli & Mat-T (Luuk Van Dijk Remix)
5. Dj Dep – Funky Shit (Joey Daniel Remix)
6. Reelow – The Juicy One (Original Mix)
7. Proudly People – Let It Go (Original Mix)
8. Joseph Edmund – Brother PLZ (Original Mix)
9. Caal,Baum – Energy (Original Mix)
10. Jholeyson – Yelod (Original Mix)
11. Londonground – La Farsa (Original Mix)
12. Paul C, Vincenzo D’amico – Keep On (Original Mix)
13. Caal, Rendher – Phonky (Original Mix) [UNRELEASED]
14. Wheats – Play (Original Mix) [UNRELEASED]
15. Miguel Lobo, Mene – Back Seat (Original Mix)
16. Prok & Fitch – Square One (Original Mix)
17.  Miguel Lobo, Mene – Work That (De la Swing , Rendher Remix)
18. Lorenzo De Blanck – Somebody (Original Mix)
19. Lubelski – Aquí (Original Mix) [UNRELEASED]
20. Carlos Sanchez & DJ Ray – Too Madly (Original Mix)
21. Simon Harris feat. Morrison – This Is Serious (DF’s Trauma Drum Mix)
22. Proudly People – Daily Fix (Original Mix) [UNRELEASED]
23. Caal & Rendher – Keep Busting (Original Mix) [UNRELEASED]
24. MEEN – Balançaou (Original Mix)

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– jbravo
Juany Bravo
Managing Editor
jbravo@musicis4lovers.com

Straight from Australia, Oscar de Lima and his imprint, Refuge Recordings, have been steadily making a huge impact on the house scene with quality releases, that never seem to disappoint.

We’re very excited to feature Refuge Recordings on the next episode of our Label Lovers mix series!

Connect with Refuge Recordings HERE! Also, make sure to check out their Refuge Recommends Playlist!

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Tracklist:

Pinto (NYC) – Friday (Jerk Boy Vocal Mix)
Simon Shaw – Paz Amor
Jerk Boy – The Nebroni (Rude Boy Mix)
Mo’funk – I Can’t Wait (Tripmastaz Golden Age Remix)
Jason Hodges – F*#k Hodges
Donald Leicester – Deep Vices Down At The Roxy
Greywolf – Beginning Of Forever
Pinto (NYC) – Just Wanna
Sondrio, Jason Hodges – One
Manakinz – Got Myself Together (Version 1)
Nelson (DE) – Watch Out For The Riders
Sondrio – Reaction (Oliver Dollar Remix)
Greco (NYC), Demuir – Power To The People
Peekay – Sunshine
Greywolf – Pink
Olly Davis – Stop

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– jbravo
Juany Bravo
Managing Editor
jbravo@musicis4lovers.com