Review: Three sultry, slinky and sophisticated boogie-style cuts make up this fairly self-explanatory EP from long-running German stable Peppermint Jam. HP Vince & Dave Leatherman get the ball rolling with 'Space Disco', a lively, jazzy lil' roller topped with a keyboard line that owes more than a little to Royksopp's 'Eple'. New York Loft Party's 'The Loft' is up next, bringing the authentic 'late 70s in NYC' vibes and coming in full-length Original and Radio Edit flavas, before Yellowlight & Audioblink play us out with a squelchy, filter disco-leaning take on a Sly & The Family Stone classic.
Review: Some high-quality modern funk/soul bizniss here, coming courtesy of Germany's long-running Peppermint Jam. The EP's bookended by fresh remixes of two cuts from NYC world-funk fusionists Mandrill's 2020 comeback album 'Back In Town', while in-between you'll find label regular Ferry Ultra paying homage to Roy Ayers before teaming up with contemporary soul songstress Sharon Phillips, and Berlin's Akay similarly serving up a very classy reworking of Marvin's 'Sexual Healing' (a brave move, but it works) before luring Montell Jordan into the studio for 'Got To The Funk'. Excellent work all round - THIS is how you do it!
Review: Germany's Joey Chicago returns to Peppermint Jam, following last year's successful Roland Clark collab 'Way Of Life' on the same label. 'Where Is The Love' is an unhurried disco/boogie number with a distinct early 80s feel - it could almost be the theme tune from one of the era's more sophisticated US sitcoms. 'Going Deeper' is a slightly (deep) housier affair and wouldn't sound out of place on Z Records, while finally 'Don't You Want' is another very fine slab of disco-house from the deeper side, with a cut-up vocal bite that ISN'T the First Choice one you're probably thinking of...
Review: Although he's rarely talked about in hushed tones, Matthias Heilbronn has consistently delivered deep, soulful and funk-fuelled house treats since the mid 1990s. It's not much of a surprise then to discover that 'Something', his latest single featuring similarly long-serving vocalist Monique Bingham, is another must-check gem. In its' original form (track four), 'Something' is a sparkling and colourful chunk of vocal deep house/nu-disco fusion blessed with freestyle-inspired synth stabs. The superb accompanying remix package includes an inspired, Rhodes-heavy disco-house bounce from Mousse T (the 'Funky Shizzle Mix'), a super-smooth, musically detailed soulful house twist from Heilbronn (the jazz-funk-flecked 'Soulflower Mix') and a crunchy vocal house take from Ahmed Sirour.
Review: Peppermint Jam continues to mine the expansive back catalogue of Andreas Mark AKA Mellow Man, here delivering a first digital release of the producer's 1996 four-tracker The Underground Club EP (here retitled Underground). What we get is classic European house that proudly displays its disco, U.S garage and "proper deep house" influences, with Marek offering up sweaty, organ-rich, bass-heavy weightiness ('Bee Happy'); happy-go-lucky U.S house cheeriness ('Party Time', with its not-so-subtle disco samples, undulating bassline and twinkling piano solos); deep-but-chunky loop house (the jazzy guitar licks, bouncy electric pianos and low-slung bass of 'Freaky Thang'); and joyously rubbery deep house/electro/boogie fusion ('Gangster Groove').
U R So Good To 2 Me (Mellow Man's Stompin mix) - (5:38) 125 BPM
U R So Good To 2 Me (Mousse T's Dirty Beat) - (5:41) 125 BPM
U R So Good To 2 Me (Mellow Man's Goodie mix) - (5:32) 125 BPM
Review: It was way back in 1994 that man-of-many-pseudonyms Andreas Marek released his first record as Mellow Man, the cheery and positive 'U R So Good 2 Me' on Peppermint Jam. As part of the German label's digital reissue project, the EP has finally been made available to download. It remains a hugely enjoyable affair, with Marek's original mix - a New Jersey garage-influenced deep house number laden with organ stabs, old skool synth-sax motifs, joyous female vocal snippets, stirring stabs and smooth beats - coming backed by a trio of reworks. He delivers the chunkier 'Stompin Mix' and sleazier, more warehouse-ready 'Goodie Mix', while Peppermint Jam main man Mousse T provides a heavier and more bass-heavy rework (the 'Dirty Beat' mix) that sounds tailor-made for peak-time dancefloors.
Review: With multiple releases on Salted Music, Simma Red and Street King to his name, Soledrifter (real name Dimitry Mescheryakov) is well-established within the global house scene. Here the Canada-based Russian returns to Peppermint Jam with a second single for the long-running German imprint (his first appeared back in 2018). 'Need To Get Down' offers the perfect balance between rubbery disco and jazz-flecked deep house warmth, with rich chords, dewy-eyed female vocal snippets, jaunty synth riffs and short sax samples enveloping funky bass guitar and organic-sounding drums. 'That Chance' is deeper and more immersive in tone, with Mescheryakov tipping a wink to the spacey sounds of late '90s UK tech-house/deep house fusion.
Review: Sometimes a record doesn't need to break boundaries, shatter paradigms or rip up genre rulebooks: sometime all you need is that one killer hook. That was true back in 1999, when Peppermint Jam first released 'Back & Forth', and it's just as true today as they serve up five new rubs coming courtesy of Michael Gray, Mo'funk and Sound Of Live. Gray's chunky disco-house remix is the standout for yours truly, but elsewhere, Mo'funk bring us something a little rawer and less polished, while Sound Of Live rub add sci-fi sounds and lend the track a certain Levan-esque wonkiness. Back and forth and up and down indeed...
Joey Chicago - "Deeper In Love" (radio edit) - (4:05) 123 BPM
Review: Germany's Joey Chicago - founder of Believe In Disco and co-founder of 4Disco - teams up with the legendary Roland Clark on this EP for Peppermint Jam. On 'Way Of Life', Clark provides a preacher-style, house music-eulogising vocal which sits atop a filter disco groove of the type that could have been made at any point in the past 25 years, though a neat little minor-key jazz piano lick lifts it above the herd. 'Deeper In Love' is another lively disco-houser with a rolling bassline, Loleatta/Millie-style vocal whoops and, buried deep in the mix, some rave-y, 'Dominator'-like stabs that, again, give it that extra edge. Both cuts come with matching Radio Edits.
Review: Five mixes on offer here, though as these break down into the original Radio/Extended versions and a Remix, Dub and Radio Edit from Bay Area house veteran Jarred Gallo, there are really only two! The former could work in soulful house and contemporary soul/R&B spots alike, while Gallo's passes rock a somewhat heftier bottom end that make them the pick for less specialist house floors. In either case, the female vocal is complemented by the unmistakeable hip-house rap stylings of the inimitable Mr V. If you're looking for trad-style soulful/vocal house grooves this week, this is a very solid bet.
Review: The fifth volume in Peppermint Jam's popular "Allstars" EP series hits home hard from the start, as DJ Meme and Brazilian legend Marcos Valle join forces to re-imagine sweaty Azymuth classic "Jazz Carnival" as a driving chunk of celebratory house mayhem. Lovebirds is up next with "The Path 2011", a similarly percussive workout that makes great use of steel band melodies and warm, deep disco bass. Matthias "Matty" Helibronn then gives a Teddy Pendergrass classic the re-edit treatment (albeit with the addition of some tasty new drums and a few well-placed filter sweeps), while The Reflex steals the show with an organ-heavy multi-track remix of Mandrill's 1972 funk shuffler "Ape Is High" (here re-named "Ape's Back In Town").
Review: After a collaboration with label staple (and all round German legend) Mousse T recently, Sebastian Doering aka Lovebirds decided to come back to Peppermint Jam with another EP. The Hamburg based producer (and Teardrop label boss) presents the charmingly titled 'New Shit Has Come To Light' which serves up three expressions in timeless deep house - and are as sexy and emotive as you like it! From the sensual late night mood music of "Glove", to the evocative breaks-driven vocal charmer "Da Sixty" and the funky sun-kissed soul power of "Disco Train" closing out this fine EP.
Review: Some well deserved modern (and classic) renditions from some right classics of the Peppermint Jam back catalogue featured here. The Hannover based label serves up part four of the Allstars series, featuring two rare vinyl only gems and two unreleased club weapons. Label head honcho Mousse T is featured twice: with none other than the mighty "Sexbomb" - his infamous collaboration with the one and only Tom Jones. Here getting a an even sleazier late night perspective which we didn't mind at all! Next is a remix of Seductive Souls feat. Onita Boone's cover of "Aint Nobody" (Mousse T's Ain T No Good Man Mix). Plus, who can remember Ann Nesby's vocal house anthem "Love Is What We Need" from the turn of the millenium? We sure can - and legend Joe T. Vannelli's remix gives it a deep down and dirtier vibe.
Pablo Bolivar - "A Special Night" (feat John Vermont - Ian Pooley Main remix) - (6:49) 122 BPM
Raw Instinct - "De La Bass" (Fred Everything remix) - (6:36) 121 BPM
Sebastian Davidson - "Questionmark" - (5:41) 121 BPM
Ben Gomori - "Illusion" - (6:56) 121 BPM
Rony Breaker - "I'll Be The One" (feat Nat Mor - Platzdasch & Dix remix) - (8:02) 120 BPM
The Checkup & Deeleegenz - "My Kingdom" - (6:48) 117 BPM
Mousse T - "The Jam Files, Vol 3" (continuous DJ mix) - (2:07:00)
Review: Hannover's Peppermint Jam predicts that 2018 will be a good year for house music - and what better to support this than with the third outing of the mighty Jam Files series. The label's very own Mousse T. starts the journey with a fresh exclusive, featuring the inimitable Peven Everett on the sensual jam "Pleasure" and even a remix of his anthem "Horny" from '96 by Scott Diaz. Elsewhere, there's also a rework of the classic "Never Enough" by Hamburg legend Boris Dlugosch, plus future classics by newbies like Studioheist on their deep and soulful "In Control" featuring the smooth as silk vocals of Andre Espeut. Also, Raw Instinct get their hot track "De La Bass" reworked by Montreal hero Fred Everything. Jam Files III is the perfect offering for every house music fan or 'music connoisseur' according to the label - we'd have to agree!
Review: "Momentum" first surfaced two years ago on the largely overlooked Soulpersona album of the same name. Here, the Princess Freesia-voiced, boogie influenced soul jam is given a makeover by remixers Ziggy Phunk and Rory Breaker. The former steals the show with a couple of interpretations - full vocal and dub - the re-cast the track as a sparkling, boogie-flavoured disco-house jam smothered in cute guitar riffs, colorful synths and chunky bass. While the vocal version is rather tidy, we prefer the stripped-back, rolling feel of the subtly proto-house influenced Dub. As for Rory Breaker's version, it's a warm and loved-up affair that reminded us of early Soul II Soul and the overlooked (but thoroughly brilliant) Def Mix of Inner City's 1989 cover of Stephanie Mills favourite "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin".
Review: Things are heating up for Chasing Kurt just ahead of their long awaited album release in September. "Cloud Dancer" is the title track of their forthcoming album. In its original version it's an evocative and slow burning journey to drift to. Hannover heroes Peppermint Jam managed to get Kiko Navarro to do two remixes: we think it's all about the smooth and slinky "Classic Vibe" remix to be honest. Also, Glasgow's favourite sons 6th Borough Project perform their magic on another remix. Theirs gets deep and emotive for late night life affirmation on the dancefloor. Both artists showcase how to handle a good vocal. Proper elegant house music!
Review: Lovebirds & Mousse T are a couple of Germany's finest, if you hadn't known already. Long time buddies and 'house mousseketeers' They finally got together and finished an awesome three track release here which started in 2015 when they met in Mousse's studio. "Closer to you" appeared exclusively on the ever so good Jam Files compilation Vol. 2. Recently they met again at Lovebirds studio in Berlin and did two more slammers in the form of the deep and sleazy "Turkish Delight" which is reminiscent of the early Daft Punk sound and the lo-slung nu-disco journey "Do Anything" which was superstylin' if we do say so ourselves!
