11 Records That Inspired House Music Innovator Eddie Amador

eddie amador

“Not everyone understands house music. It’s a spiritual thing. A body thing. A soul thing.”

I remember being handed a test pressing of Eddie Amador’s classic track “House Music,” dropping the needle on my Technics 1200 and feeling like I had been granted advance access to the next chapter in the book of house music.

On the revered 1997 deep-house workout, Amador, a West Coaster and newcomer to the house music scene, conjured a funky, sample-laden groove that resonated globally.

“House Music” was later released by Yoshitoshi, and the track’s success sent Amador on his way producing, remixing, DJing all over the world and a Grammy nomination in 2015 for his remixes of the group Five Knives’ “The Rising.”

All these years later Amador continues to stay true to the musical manifesto he created more almost three decades ago.

At the end of February, he collaborated once again with MicFreak on “Connection” (Unquantize Recordings). “Connection” is a fiery, sinewy and hella soulful club track featuring a dub crafted by Baltimore-based label boss DJ Spen.

We asked Eddie to tell us about some of the tracks that influenced him as an artist. He admits that coming up with a list of 11 standouts was a challenge. “I really need at least 10 more to do this list justice!”

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Burnski (a.k.a. James Solace) 5 Tracks of the Moment

Burnski James Solace

Working in a genre whose artists often stick to one stylistic lane, British DJ/producer James Burnham (a.k.a Burnski) has never been afraid to draw outside of the lines. Known for integrating elements of UK garage, two-step and drum ‘n’ bass into his techy house music productions, Burnham never fails to innovate with each release.

This month he dropped Mind Music, a raucous, highly impressive four-track EP for Hot Creations, produced under his James Solace alias. Tracks like “Catalyst” and “Groove” are funky-ass jams that present yet another side of this formidable musical maestro.

We checked in with Burnham and got him to share five songs he can’t live without right now. Continue Reading

Zoo Brazil 5 Tracks of the Moment

Zoo-Brazil

Veteran DJ/producer/remixer John Andersson (a.k.a. Zoo Brazil) has been bringing unique musical ideas to the dance floor since the ’90s. To date, the Grammy and Brit Award-nominated Andersson has released over 160 singles and eight albums under various monikers during his career.

2020 is proving to be an exceptionally active one so far. In February, he returned to Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook’s Skint label with his righteous house anthem “Your Love.” Previously, he dropped Lost In Waves, a diverse six-track EP, on John Digweed’s Bedrock in January.

With a new album and other releases in the pipeline, you’ll be hearing a lot more from Andersson in the coming months. In the meantime, we checked in with the Swedish master and asked him to share his five tracks of the moment. Continue Reading

Gene Farris 5 Tracks of the Moment

Gene-Farris

Chicago house music luminary Gene Farris has been delivering positive dance floor vibes since the ’90s. During his storied career, the Windy City-based DJ/producer has released a cavalcade of floor fillers on choice imprints (Cajual/Relief Records, Defected, Dirtybird, Visionquest, Lapsus Music and Suara) and has been the visionary behind Farris Wheel Recordings.

Farris’ “Back In the Day” is featured on This Is Toolroom 2020, a high-octane collection of shiny new Toolroom’s tracks mixed by Martin Ikin.

The 21-track compendium also features the likes of Mark Knight, Amine Edge & DANCE, GW Harrison and Raumakustik.

We connected with the globetrotting Farris and asked him to select his five tracks of the moment. Continue Reading