The other day a Judy of mine whispered in my ear that Hed Kandi, one of the more stylish dance compilation House labels, was back in the record stacks with a two disc set called Disco Heaven 01.05. So I had to do my duty and check it out. While it’s true that this set isn’t too new, having dropped earlier this year, it’s worth talking about. But first, a touch of background.
I’ve written before about Hed Kandi and its many compilations. The thing that keeps me coming back for more is how tight the play lists are. Mark Doyle, aka Hed Kandi, has a wonderful knack for capturing the mood of a group of songs and packaging them in just the right way. From Deep House to bright and shiny Disco House, he knows just what it takes to bring you popular House tunes while slipping in some new ones for a bit of flavor.
Disco Heaven 01.05 is part of that bright and shiny flavor of music that makes you want to boogie and smile on the dance floor. It’s filled with Garage and Disco House that will funk you into next week and beyond. The following is only a sample of the great tunes found in this set.
Disc one starts you on the journey with diva Shawn Christopher telling you ‘You Can Make It’ remixed by Jamie Lewis of Purple Music fame, a fabulous label. This track captures THE vocal House sound of the moment. Along the way Lisa Millet and the Soul Rebels give us ‘I’ll Be Good’, a summer thumper of a track. Mauve and StoneBridge then work up a new hit ‘Take Me Away’ featuring a happy futuristic sounding Therese. The breakdown is to die for. I’ll actually play that one all the way through. The last track on disc one is a remake of the Candy Stanton hit ‘You Got The Love’ by Solitare. One listen and you’ll reach for your hoop earrings and bell bottoms.
Disc two feels like being an after-hours party with people you haven’t seen in years. Which might be a good thing or not, but there is definitely some strangeness at the end of it all.
Inaya Day vocally battles with a piano on the Soul Avengers remix of ‘Hold Your Head Up High’. It’s pretty intense, even for her. There’s a lively track called ‘So Many Times’ by Gadjo that’s been creeping into the Underground ‘floors. Definitely a fun one. Milk & Sugar vamps up the Disco on ‘Stay Around’ in a big way. And then, in an odd twist, two very unique remakes close the disc. The first, by LnM Projekt is a remake of ‘Everywhere’ by Fleetwood Mac. Bizarre. The second is a remake of Michael Jackson’s ‘Man In The Mirror’ by Rhythme Fatal. Both are campy and fun, proving that Hed Kandi has both a sense of style and a sense of humor.
With you in 4/4,
Peter Mavrik
peter@windycitytimes.com