Andy Vaz: House Warming Remixes
Yore Records

Issued in digital and twelve-inch formats on the always strong Yore imprint, House Warming Remixes makes for a natural addendum to Andy Vaz's late-2015 full-length. The tracks on that clubcentric release ooze soul, and not surprisingly these makeovers by Ava label-head Damiano von Erckert and Patrice Scott (hailing from Cologne and Detroit, respectively) perpetuate the album's sensual vibe.

Up first, the Ava boss's mix of “Want U Back” recasts the dizzying original as a percussion-heavy treatment that's as much indebted to steamy funk as house. Trippy vocal treatments work in tandem with congas, synthesizers, and a roiling hi-hats-and-kick drum pulse to turn Vaz's cut into a natural floor-filler of the first rank. Scott's take on “Nobody” is a little less feverish by comparison but no less satisfying, especially when the Detroit producer retains the slinky feel of the original; truth be told, the differences between it and Scott's treatment are subtle, and it might be more accurate to regard the latter as more of an extended mix than radical re-imagining. Rounding out the EP is an instrumental mix of “Nobody” by Vaz himself that, while ostensibly a bonus supplement to the guests' versions, exudes a luxuriant joy, sparkle, and snap that makes a compelling argument for its inclusion on the release.

August 2016