Summary: Take Me to a Higher Ground… !!!! Warning: some expletives and drug references !!! Set could have been called “15 Shades of House” or “What is House without Big Piano Keys?” But I thought I shouldn’t pass on the opportunity to give Blonde and Grant Nelson a some exposure.. 14 good tracks … 13 from the last quarter of 2014.. Proud of that! In the past few months, I have been utterly bored with Soulful and, to a certain extent, with with any non-progressive house. "Take Me to a Higher Ground" reunites me with the genre.. What changed my mind? - Mixing it up between true soulful gems and edgier tunes with some rasp built-in gave depth and colours to my set. - Inviting House royalty to the party did help! Grant Nelson, Richard Earnshaw, Sandy Rivera, Kings of Tomorrow, Spiritchaser, Eric Kupper and Miguel Migs.. Need I say more? - Finally finding great, very recent tracks! “Higher Ground”, “Need 2 Know”, “Bang, Bang” and “Special”… The latter 3 released in the last fortnight and all of them in my 2014 House top five.. The pleasure to discover new tracks, associated to the relief of not having to include old ones, rekindled my interest. There you have it.. A very decent House set to listen to! I promise it will grow on you. Playlist: 1969 Intro Apollo 11 Counrdown. NASA Soundcloud Page 2014 Higher Ground (Taft_Purple Disco Machine vs Taft Remix.) [Xtian Daft Disco Edit feat. Erick Decks]. Blonde feat. Charli Taft 2014 Higher Ground (Grant Nelson Remix). Blonde feat. Charli Taft 2014 Need 2 Know (Richard Earnshaw Remix). State Unknown feat. Cassandra London 2014 BANG (Kings Of Tomorrow ReVox Mix). Sandy Rivera feat. April 2014 Don't Look Any Further (Babysitters & Deep Criminal Remix). Levan Kay, Gary Caos 2104 Special (CamelPhat vs Grant Nelson HC Remix) [Xtian F@kin’ Special Booty Edit]. Billon feat. Maxine Ashley 2014 Secret (Full Intention Remix). DJ Anna feat. Beverley Ely 2014 We Love You (Mandela Tribute). U-Ness, JedSet feat Madiba 2012 Paradise Row (Extended Mix). Spiritchaser 2014 High Enough (Inaky Garcia Remix). Daniel Trim & Monica Mira feat. Maximilian G. 2014 My Feelin' (Unique2Rhythm Remix). AM2PM 2014 Missing You (Eric Kupper's 'Director's Cut Tribute To FK' Mix). Artful, Ridney, feat. Terri Walker 2014 Kissin Huggin Pt 2_(Jay Vegas Remix) [Xtian My Naughty Way Edit feat. Phil Weeks). Boy Orlando 2014 Let It Play (Original Mix). Miguel Migs feat. Martin Luther Highlights: “Higher Ground”: I first heard the track on Grant Nelson’s housecall. Grant had done a private edit of the Blonde’s tunes, it was clear it had anthem potential. You get a mash on my 3 favourite remixes. I am sure more will come, too much potential for other producers not to have a go. Big keys, heavy bass and an outstanding melody line. “Need 2 Know” from Richard Earnshaw, heard it first unreleased on Jask’s ThaiSoul podcast on MixCloud.. Immediate love. Earnshaw is one of the top five house producers and never, never disappoints. As to the vocalist, Cassandra London, absolute respect. Production is immaculate. “Bang, Bang”: Sandy Rivera, April and the KOT outfit.. Sandy and April, not sure who is the muse of the other, but very much like the previous track, this tune is intricate and goes way beyond the melody line.. I needed a wider appeal than a purely melodic one to regain interest in Soulful House.. Grant Nelson, Richard Earnshaw and Sandy Rivera just provided it.. As for April, what a vocalist! Listen every word is expressed not just sung. “Don't Look Any Further”: old tune, new take.. My wife was cringing a bit with the tenor sax.. I had to tell her that the sugary, well-k(continued)
