Katy Perry - Unconditionally (Nu Collective Demo Mix)

This heartfelt ballad was the 2nd single from her PRISM album. It performed only moderately well after the massive hit "Roar" which preceded it, and then of course "Dark Horse" was huge afterwards. This is still one of many highlights on the album. The song had a number of remixes, however only a couple of them were really well done. The best remix of the song surfaced this week! It is the previously unreleased production by Nu Collective (the trio of Billy Waters, Floor One, and John Michael Di Spirito). Despite the title containing the word 'demo', the remix sounds completely polished and complete. It is a melodic, big room mix staying true to the original, maintaining the emotional element that made the original so special.

Listen to the remix here:

Katy Perry - Unconditionally (NU Collective Demo Mix) by Billy Waters Productions on Mixcloud

Grade: A

Wayne G feat Debby Holiday - Dive '13 (Part 2)

The 2nd set of remixes of the club classic is out now. Chris Cox, Club Junkies, Jerome Farley & Joel Dickinson, LFB, LuckyDeejay, Mark VDH, Matt Consola & LFB, and Nu Collective provide the new mixes.

Chris Cox delivers a slamming update to his earlier mix. The beats are not as hard, but the overall structure including the synths and main production elements are the same. The Club Junkies mix is very mainstream. Farley & Dickinson's dark, drummy mix is really good too. LFB's mix is also on the dark side, but it has the feel of late 90s Almighty 'definitive' mixes. This adds some much needed drama. LuckyDeejay's has lots of soaring synths. Mark VDH's tribal mix has a slight Rock edge. Matt Consola & LFB's is circuit-oriented, but it will work well on mainstream floors too. Last but not least is Nu Collective's circuity mix with a touch of 90s Handbag House is lovely. Nu Collective, Farley & Dickinson, LFB, and Matt Consola & LFB's mixes end up being the best of the bunch though all are great.

-Listen to clips and purchase here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Kelly Clarkson - Dark Side (Billy Waters & Floor One Mix)

After the smash success of "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" comes "Dark Side." This Pop/Rock song is perfect as the followup. Lyrically, it is a bit of a departure from what some of us may be used to from Kelly, but this shows another dimension of her. Kelly's vocals are stunning as can be expected.

There is a wonderful dance remix of this by Billy Waters and Floor One. They have done an impeccable job of preserving the integrity of the original while making it danceable.

Listen to the Billy Waters & Floor One mixshow:

• Listen to the original here (YouTube)

Grade: A (for the original)/A+ (for the remix)

Aiden Leslie - Trying To Leave Now

This is the latest single from the New York-based singer. Aiden's vocal style calls to mind Boy George, Andy Bell, and a little of The Human League. The song is really catchy. The original is an Electro Dance/Pop with a hint of Rock song.

There are many remixes of this by Orly Productions, Nick Harvey & Scott Aviance, Joe Mancuso, Joe C & David Petrilla, Jerome Farley & Floor One, and The Werkin' Brothers.

Floor One and Farley and Feldman feat Nadia B - Just Me

This is a brand new vocal track from the Continuous Cool label which has been putting out some great releases lately. "Just Me" is an extremely catchy song. Nadia B's vocals are really beautiful. There are three main sets of remixes of the song. The Classic and Club mixes are funky, piano-driven house oriented, while the Anthem mixes are slightly darker. All three are circuit-oriented as well. Overall, the Classic and Anthem ones are the best of the bunch, however they are all quite good.

Purchase the single here (Juno)

Grade: A

Vernessa Mitchell - Reap (What You Sow) Remixed

"Reap (What You Sow)" was released nearly 15 years ago and formally introduced Vernessa Mitchell to clubland. Written by Joe Carrano, Junior Vasquez, and Vernessa herself, the original and it's accompanying remixes were soulful while remaining hard-hitting. A revisit in 2001 by Junior and Joe transformed the song into an epic tribal anthem. There are some brand new mixes by Jerome Farley & Floor One. The main remix nicely captures the essence of the original. That familiar riff from the original is present as are those beats from the opening of the Sound Factory mix. Vernessa's vocals still sound just as fierce as they did back in the day. The instrumental version is great too. Overall, this is an excellent update to the classic. This will be released on May 25.

Grade: A

Barbara Sheree - Power To The People

Hot on the heels of "Together" which has finally introduced Barbara Sheree to clubland (and the world) comes her new single "Power To The People." Barbara's vocals are warm and uplifting on this song. The lyrics are very positive and empowering. There are plenty of remixes for both the European and U.S. dancefloors.

The European package contains mixes by Alex Petrov, Alex Volpi, Dan Walter, Gregg Morrish, Kannamix, Nwico, Phoenix, Romey Boy and Sebastien De Brito & Jordane G. The original club mix (by Jerome Farley & Floor One) is a slightly lower tempo house mix. Think of it as a modernized take on 90's hip house. Alex Petrov's is at a similar tempo as the aforementioned JFF1 mix, it has a nice 80's synthpop feel. Alex Volpi's is similar but a little modern. Dan Walter's is electro/tribal-oriented. Gregg Moorish delivers two mixes. One is a big room electro/funky house mix while the other mix is a little less gritty and more atmospheric. Kannamix's is 80's styled with a fun warped synth. Nwico's is very minimal and at a lower tempo. Phoenix's is really soulful and pretty. Romey Boy and Sebastien De Brito & Jordane G's mixes are both funky disco/house-ish. All are quite good. The main mix and the Phoenix ones are the standouts.

The U.S. package features mixes by JMBW & Joel Dickinson (JMBW is the duo of Billy Waters and John Michael). They deliver a hard, tribal, hands in the air anthem. It has a cute little reference to Black Box's club classic "Everybody Everybody" worked in. Also included are some dubs, beats, a synthapella, and a tribeapella.

Both packages are really great.

-Purchase European remix package here: Juno | iTunes
-Purchase the U.S. remix package here Juno | iTunes

Grade: A

Tim Letteer - U Gotta Luv

The original release of this happened a couple of years back. "U Gotta Luv" is a simple, positive track, with a hypnotic male vocal chanting "If you wanna make a difference, if you wanna change the world...you gotta love". This release features some new mixes by Michael Hades, David Ohana, Billy Waters & John Michael, and Jerome Farley & Floor One. Also included are the previously released Jamie J. Sanchez and original mixes. Michael Hades' mix is simple, minimal house with some deep synths. David Ohana takes things in a slightly darker direction. Billy Waters & John Michael stay true to the original versions with their Classic mixes. Think of theirs as a new freshened up version of the original. Jerome Farley & Floor One's mix is a bit synthier and electro-tinged. The Jamie J. Sanchez mix still sounds great. Nice and drummy. Tim's original mixes are still just as hard-hitting as they were when they were released. This is a very strong release with a little something for everyone.

Purchase the release here (Masterbeat)

Grade: A

Vernessa Mitchell - Love Is The Message

Nearly several years in the making, Love Is The Message, a collection of singer Vernessa Mitchell's club-released singles from 1995 through 2010 is finally available. All singles released during that time are represented with one version per song. In most cases, the main version or the popular remix, when appropriate was chosen. Assembling a tracklisting that would satisfy each and every fan was going to be a nearly impossible task, but this is pretty close. All versions are full length. Several have never been released digitally. In addition to the older singles, the new song "Rise!" is included (see separate review here).

Tracklisting:
01. Reap (What You Sow) (Junior's Sound Factory Mix) 12:29
02. This Joy (Razor & Guido Remix) 10:45
03. Issues (Junior's Earth Anthem) 13:05
04. Higher (Junior Vasquez Marathon Remix) 10:26
05. Trouble Don't Last Always (feat Barbara Mitchell - Twilo Mix) 7:47
06. Serious (Junior's Earth Anthem) 12:50
07. Took My Life (Chad Jack's Club Remix) 11:34
08. Accept Me (Junior's Massive Club Mix) 8:53
09. Love Will Find A Way (Junior Vasquez Club Mix) 8:43
10. Rise! (feat Barbara Mitchell - Jerome Farley Floor One club Mix) 9:20

Overall, this is a great collection. Cheers to everyone who helped to make this collection a reality!

Purchase here (Juno)

Grade: A+

Vernessa Mitchell - Rise!

Nearly 5 years have passed since her last single "Love Will Find A Way" was released. Written by Steven Feldman, Jerome Farley, and Vernessa herself, "Rise!" is her brand-new single from an upcoming album which may serve as a greatest hits collection as there has been no proper album containing Vernessa's club-oriented material from the last 15 years. She is best known for her gospel/house singles including "Reap (What You Sow)", "This Joy", and "Higher" among others. "Rise!" is a rousing, hands-in-the-air anthem that doesn't stray too far from Vernessa's usual. Her vocal performace is passionate and powerful. The remixes are by Jerome Farley with Floor One, Del Pino Brothers, and Midnight Express. The main anthem and DJF1 mixes are circuit/tribal-oriented. The synths in both sets are really hard and rich. The Midnight Express mixes are a touch lighter, but still deliver the goods. This is a great song with excellent mixes.

The single will be released on February 9 on Continuous Cool digitally. Also, Vernessa will be making club appearances with Jerome Farley on his upcoming tour (in the U.S. in April) and then in Europe after that.

Grade: A

(post updated on January 9, 2010 with additional information)

Barbara Sheree- Together

This is the much-awaited single from Barbara Sheree. She has been writing and singing for some time now. Barbara is brilliant on the postive, uplifting "Together". The remixes make this song a hands-in-the-air anthem. The DJF1 Extended Mix is circuit-oriented, but still very soulful and melodic. The pianos throughout it are simply wonderful. The Tribal Dub is in a similar direction but with a lot less vocals and lots of effects on the vocals that are there. The Push mix is a little lighter but still quite good. The Clap-apella mix is basically an acapella with some claps. A creative DJ could work in some bits of the Clap-apella to emphasize some of the vocals during a set. This song is a delight to listen to from start to finish.

Check out Barbara on MySpace here



Check out Barbara's website here (the original of "Together" as well as remixes of other songs can be heard here)

Grade: A+