If the name of this collection of traxxxoffends you, move on—there's no hope for you here. If,on the other hand, Toribio's salacious fun-pun cracked your cool exterior, here's an introductionto a set of bangers that helps exemplify New York's increasingly exuberant dancefloor, and what producer/DJ Cesar Toribio brings to it. His is a ribald, rhythmic take on dance music,neither for the weak of musical character (purists need not apply) nor for the weak of ass (-shaking). In fact, the proof is right there, in Toribio's label's and monthly party's name: Bring DatAss (BDA). This command is not optional, but *the* key ingredient for a good time.The four tracks Toribio has created for "Tongue In Cheeks," BDA's first release, comprise ahorny melting pot of tribal house and Linn-drum plug-ins,minimalist synth textures and basslines, hi-hats reminiscent of electro and freestyle classics, some of which are infused with New York's Latin club history and futures. The lead-off track, "No Pare," is based on theproducer's 808-driven reinvention of the call-and-response hook from Proyecto Uno's 1993merengue-house smash "El Tiburón," marking the first time the group has ever cleared asample of this Nuyodominican classic. We predict that "No Pare" will be a Fall 2023 monster."Cimarron Palace" may embrace Peoria's Bacardi drums, while "Anti Narcoleptic" is a hyper-hectic patch-heavy take on Berlin minimalism. But they both re-emerge in New York's funk. Aguest vocal appearance by The Illustrious Blacks also shows the breadth of Toribio's regard forthelocal community, especially how the Neo-Afro-Futuristic-Psychedelic-Surrealistic-HippysMonstah Black and Manchildblack infuse a dollop of booty into "Work Dat Shit." There's really no unifying formula, but if there was, it would be: Make it sexy. Make it(consensually) grindy.Make it funny to the point of ridiculous but so funky that the laughter becomes more fuel to thejoyous momentum propelling the movement. Then make it home—or try to. More

Real Feel Records looks to blend old and new in paying tribute to the roots of U.S. house music. Real Feel is the vehicle intended to bring it back to basics and create a platform to boost US-based artists in an inclusionary way. The label is run out of DC, pressed in the US, and will look to elevate Black, Latinx, AAPI, women and TLGBQ artists—new and OG—in the US. The intention is not to come in and Columbus anything--we all know vets in Detroit, Chicago etc have been self-releasing material for a long time; but rather give a channel for new artists while blending in established names.

For its first release, NY DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist Toribio baptizes Real Feel Records with the Brown Cocoa Skin EP. The record is chock full of lush, swingy tracks built for the dancefloor. The legendary DJ Spinna contributes the finishing touches with a monster remix.



Press:

Resident advisor: https://ra.co/news/77645

Bolting Bits: https://boltingbits.com/toribio-brown-cocoa-skin-dj-spinna-remix-real-feel/ More

The Jazz Diaries is proud to announce NYC’s favorite underground papi Toribio will be releasing his sophomore EP June 14th 2019. Hot of-the-heels of his Gator Boots 12” for Soul Clap, which received hands in the air support from Seth Troxler, Adam Port, and Soul Clap, Toribio makes you feel at home in the club with his expressive new EP - Capicua! Growing up playing Dominican percussion instruments from an early age, and being a staple DJ in the NYC circuit for the last 7+ years playing with a who’s who of DJs (Danny Krivit, Rick Wilhite, Louie Vega etc), Toribio expands the palette of what dance music is, fusing his Dominican roots, afro-cuban latin riddims and 90s hip-hop to create a cultural melting pot that signals a change in the guard for NYC House Music. More

The legendary edit king Mr. K is back with more of his trademark sonic treatments here, this time focussing on some lick funk sounds from the Motor City. His mid-tempo selections on this Detroit-themed 7" open-up with G.C. Cameron, a Motown mainstay with a wide vocal range as demonstrated on this classic rare groove cut, 'No Matter Where.' On the backside is more rare groove from Detroit but this time from the 80s and Candye Edwards's 'Time Is What You Need.' Edwards was part of the Detroit funk powerhouse One Way and through that got connected with songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin McCord. They cooked up real gold together on a solo debut album with this being the standout cut from it. Perfect for warm outdoor dancing. More

Most Excellent Unlimited has now been serving up these collaborations with master editor Danny Krivit for some time, but they never grow old. The New York-based Body and Soul mainstay this time looks to Euro-disco maestro Alec Constandinos to kick off with. 'Love & Kisses' was one of his earliest works and took up a whole side of vinyl but here becomes a more compact cut with funky vibes, bass breakdowns to die for and fine a cappella to close. The legendry Donna Summer's 'Heaven Knows' then gets the Mr K treatment on the flip and becomes a horn-led and ecstatic trip to the heavens that will leave dancefloors in raptures. More

The one and only Mr K sure does know how to cook up a masterful edit. Here he heads into gospel territory with the latest 7" in Most Excellent Unlimited's collaborations with him. Both of these tunes are appearing on 7" vinyl for the first time here and have long been staples of the sets of Danny Krivit. His 'Churchapella' edit of Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' is as holy and steamy as it gets with the whole thing sure to uplift and energise any crowd. On the backside is a superb edit of the Clark Sisters slinky rare groove gem 'Ha-Ya (Eternal Life).' It's a slightly slower tune but one that makes just as much of an impact. More

Legendary edit specialist and New York's Body & Soul party man Danny Krivit turns his hand to a famously spiritual house classic by Manchester band RSL that has more than a hint of gospel magic to it. Frankly that makes it perfect source material for the man and he doesn't disappoint: His work is subtle but classic, with some extra gorgeous vocal chants layered in over chunkier beats on the never before released a-side. The jazzy notes from the original and sprinkled percussion all remain next to mad drum fills. This 12" also features a 'Part 2' mix that unfolds in glorious fashion to a rapturous peak. More

5x7" box set + 2 slipmats!

The arrival of the Acapellas Anonymous series in the mid/late '80s was a massive gamechanger, giving immediate access to DJs and producers to hundreds of vocal samples that would have taken a fortune (and a lifetime) to collect. Edit king Mr K has rebuilt, remastered, and carefully portioned them onto a five disc set of 7-inch singles, "including all the classic vocal bits that became iconic samples," and more than a few new additions to bring things up to date. You'll know more than a few of these on first listen, others you may have never even realised were samples, but no-one will underestimate the power of a great vocal sample dropping in the right way in the right mix. An absolute essential. More

Danny Krivit aka Mr K, that veteran of the Roxy and Paradise Garage, turns his attention to the 80s for his latest Mr K edits aka brush ups for the sound systems of today. 'Pleasure Boys' by Visage epitomised the new wave crossover sound when was released in 1982, and Krivit would eschew the vocal, using two copies to concentrate on and extend the thunderous synth bass break in his sets instead. Here he recreates the trick - a bare bones riff that still sounds enormous on a club system.

For the flip, Krivit goes a little deeper with his edit of 'Emotional Disguise' by Peter Godwin again ditching the overwrought new wave vocal in favour of the atmospheric synth stylings of the instrumental, which he recalls being a big tune with hip-hop crowds at the Garage and Roxy alike. More

You know what you're getting with Mr K - "high-powered disco intensity" as he says himself, in this case in the form of two neglected cuts rescued and fully refurbished by the master. On the A-side comes the Dynamic Superiors' essential gay disco classic 'I Can't Stay Away (From Someone I Love)', boiled down to its most concentrated form, reshaped as a hard-charging, peak time disco climax with their proudly out singer Tony Washington - an influence on the soon-to-emerge Sylvester - setting the tone of pride and liberation.
Flip it over for the slap bass and brass of the frenetic 'Hit and Run', first released by the obscure Opus 7 in 1979 but overshadowed at the time by the slower, funkier 'Bustle'. Eliminating everything but the transcendent ride out, which is extended to a glorious eight minutes in order to fully enjoy its pumping bass and Philly-style group harmonies, Mr K ensures both sides of this are killer club weapons for the serious DJs and dancers alike. More

The inimitable Mr K lands once more on the Most Excellent Unltd label with more of his a-grade edits. He kicks off with a signature disc-funk sounds that could be from any ear in the last forty years. The bass licks really get you up on your toes as the dangling chords and leggy drums heighten the groove. A steamy female vocal then flips you out. On the backside is 'World Famous' which is a cut up groove with some great scratching, old school electro-boogie in the cords and a nice lush lead piano line that brings the joy. More

Mr. K (Danny Krivit) transports us to the golden era of David Mancuso 's New York Loft with two disparate but equally heavyweight classics from the Mancuso oeuvre mastered and cut loud, deep, and clear for club play. First up is an edit of a track that embodies the spirit of early '80s downtown NYC. Originally released in 1982, 'Konk Party' was Konk's calling card and first hit and represented their multicultural, no wave, hip-hop/disco hybrid perfectly, the opening sax riff itself a giving sly nod to Wild Sugar's breakbeat classic 'Bring It Here' that the Beastie Boys would later sample. It was considered such a Loft staple that the video was even filmed there, as well as being played widely across the influential clubs of the day. The easy-going groove, heavy percussion and low-slung bass, complimented by bilingual lyrics from Angel QuiNones, still sounds ready for action, especially In this new edit from Mr. K. On the flip, 'Hold On To Your Mind' was first released in 1970 by Northern Irish rock group Andwella, is a heavy, psychedelic tour de force. Mr. K outdoes himself with his new mix, a supercharged blend of extended percussion breaks absent on previous 7-inch mixes, plus driving vocals, and fuzz guitar. More

Mr K (Danny Krivit) is back once again with another vital selection of his edits. Edits By Mr K: It Should Have Been Me on Most Excellent Unltd kicks off with the title track. It is a lazy and heart wrenching soul jam with deep cut bass, guttural female vocals that are as raw as you can imagine and some lush strings. It's a great vision of a stone cold classic that will never fail in any setting to get tears going. On the flipside, 'Brand New Lover' picks up the pace with a silky disco-funk-soul groove to carry you into a lovely headspace. More

Any time the discerning ear of Danny Krivit turns to upper echelon artists like the two featured on this latest 12-inch single, you know you're in for a special treat, and that's exactly what we have here. First up is Stevie Wonder's timeless "If You Really Love Me," a song written in 1970 by newlyweds Stevie and Syreeta Wright and simply glowing with the warmth and soulfulness that surrounds the happiest of unions. Krivit in conjunction with Kei and Nagi of Dazzle Drums, & Me & the Gang, utilizes the entire original song structure, in the process lifting Syreeta's soaring backup vocals to the collaborative level they deserve, while underlaying the entire affair with Dazzle Drums' trademark percussion-heavy, four on the floor thump. The result is certainly one of the finest, most respectful efforts in a field of Stevie house remixes that has seen far too many limp entries over the years.

Filling the flip side is Mr. K's much-loved take on Chaka Khan's "I Know You, I Live You." Appearing in a rather murkily EQ-ed form in the early 2000's, this new issue wipes away the sonic sludge with a sparkling mastering job that reveals the full range of Mr. K's epic edit. With pieces seamlessly stitched together from the original song, the album-only reprise, and Tony Humphries' remix from the 1989 Life Is A Dance Chaka remix project, this rightfully celebrated mix can lay claim to being the definitive release of this undisputed classic. There are hardly better calls to the dancefloor than this, as partygoers at countless jams can attest. Most Excellent Unlimited and Mr. K are pleased to offer DJs and listeners the opportunity to send that call out themselves with this new release, exclusively for Record Store Day 2022. More

It was certainly unpredictable that a legendary jazz drummer would record one of spiritual disco's most revered songs twenty-three years into his career, but that's exactly what happened when Idris Muhammad laid down the epic "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" in 1977. Hailing from New Orleans, Muhammad always had more than a touch of funk to his rhythms, and by the late '70s his collaborations with master engineer Rudy Van Gelder on recordings for the CTI and Kudu labels had gelled perfectly with the reigning jazz-funk sound of the day. Arranger Dave Matthews (famously part of the James Brown stable) collaborated with lyricist and former Long Island record store clerk Tony Sarafino on writing the song, which on the original recording unfolds over a nearly 9-minute build. Appearing at the crest of the disco movement, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" was an immediate hit with David Mancuso and the attendees of his loft parties, quickly spreading to other venues and even making a small climb up the Billboard R&B charts. For this new issue on Most Excellent Unlimited, Danny Krivit, whose own career as a dancefloor orchestrator from the DJ booth has paralleled the timeframe of the song's existence, has replaced the original loose introduction with a mix-friendly steady groove that maintains the unstoppable pulse of the song while maintaining the cathartic mid-song break and giving the track potential for even more momentum.

Another percussionist is responsible for our flip side track, "Magic's in the Air." Vince Montana was not only an in-house arranger and producer for Philadelphia International and other Philly soul labels, but was an accomplished vibraphone player. His talents are on display and doubly emphasized by Mr. K in this overlooked cut from Ronnie Walker, a falsetto singer who draws a rather strong comparison to the best songs of fellow Philadelphians Blue Magic with this uptempo, subtly synthy 1975 track. Never having appeared on a 12-inch, and indeed never having appeared even on a full-length album, Krivit's edit is the first extended mix of "Magic's in the Air" to date. Alongside "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This," itself notoriously difficult to find in 12-inch form, this latest from MEU's long running series with Mr. K is a bonafide must-have for the discerning DJ. More

For this entry in the ever-expanding series from the master Danny Krivit, we turn to two productions from the legendary Lamont Dozier. Both songs are artfully rearranged by Mr. K and appear here on 12-inch vinyl for the first time. Margie Joseph was a powerful soul singer from the deep South who in her younger days was compared favorably to Aretha Franklin. But by the time of this recording in 1976, Joseph had moved on from the Southern soul sound and was looking for something new. She found it in collaboration with Lamont Dozier (who would actually go on to produce Aretha the following year). Dozier's song "Prophecy" was recorded at least three times, with Betty Everett doing it in '77 and Dozier himself using it as the title track for a planned 1975 solo album that was unfortunately never released. It's Margie Joseph's energetic version that made the song a proto-disco dance floor classic however, getting heavy spins on the U.K. modern soul scene and at the Houston St. incarnation of Nicky Siano's infamous 'Gallery'. "Prophecy" has also long been a Danny Krivit favorite, appearing on his 2001 compilation Grassroots. Mr. K turns in a new, definitive mix of the song, complete with a never heard before acapella intro and outro section. The writing on the wall says this one is still a winner! Going back just a couple years prior to "Prophecy" is our flip side, "I'm Just Being Myself." This time we have an even more high profile female singer who again was looking for a new sound. In the case of Dionne Warwick, she and her longtime collaborators Hal David and Burt Bacharach had split acrimoniously not long before, and her new label Warner Brothers, seeking a fresh twist for her voice, teamed her with the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team. Lamont Dozier and the Holland brothers were of course responsible for numerous Motown smashes, but by the early '70s Berry Gordy had moved operations west to L.A. and H-D-H struck out on their own, choosing to remain in Detroit. "I'm Just Being Myself" was recorded at the team's studio there, with a cast of Motown veterans fleshing out the magnificent Holland-Dozier composition. Mr. K's edit squeezes the most out of the underlying groove, avoiding the chorus in favor of prominent percussion, dramatic strings, and soaring flute. Warwick herself doesn't make an entrance until five minutes into this epic rearrangement, cooly riding the building instrumental tension. A long-time standard in Krivit's bag, this edit makes its full length appearance on wax for the first time. More

The new batch from the bottomless edit archives of Danny Krivit is an uptempo, guitar-heavy excursion into two cuts of danceable rock from opposite sides of a decade. The sound is crisply remastered for club play, and stretched over the breadth of a 12-inch single. Both of these tracks are appearing on the long-format player for the first time. More

Letta Mbulu was one of many South African artists to flee the country as Apartheid choked the nation, arriving in New York in 1965 and reconnecting there with fellow countryman Hugh Masekela. Masekela had already developed a relationship with producer Stewart Levine, and when the two formed their own label, Chisa, they quickly signed Mbulu. By 1970, Mbulu, Masekela, and Mbulu's husband Caiphus Semenya, a saxophonist in Hugh Masekela's Union of South Africa group, had all relocated to California. There they formed lasting relationships with members of the Crusaders, who had just dropped the "Jazz" from their name and begun releasing a cool hybrid of funk, soul and worldly jazz. When it was time for Letta to record her first album for Chisa, the Crusaders backed her in the studio with powerful horn arrangements by Masekela. "Mahlalela (Lazy Bones)" was written by Semenya and was released as a single, immediately finding a fan in the young Danny Krivit back in NYC, who included it in his very first DJ sets. "A truly stand-out funky African track," Danny describes it, pointing to the distinctive vocals and instantly immersive atmosphere that envelopes listeners from the first notes. As sought after as the original is, this superior remastered mix used for Danny's edit on this release has never appeared in the 7-inch format. With a wide stereo field and a crisp, powerful punch to the horns and drums, this release takes this already iconic cut to a new level.

Bandleader, vibraphonist and timbales player Louie Ramirez explicitly attempted to cross over in 1976 with his Different Shade of Black LP, covering big disco sensations "Do It Anyway You Wanna" and "Bad Luck." But the connoisseur's deep cut on the album was always "Barrio Nuevo," which took the creative approach of alternating smooth hustle sections with intense jazzy Latin jam breaks laced with timbales and electric piano and sounding almost like an East Coast version of Santana. The contrasts provided a cool listening experience, but tended to break the mood on the dancefloor. On this edit, DK leans hard into the Latin side of the tune and builds the dance floor energy with a rearrangement that is guaranteed to work up a sweat.

Loud and cut for the dancefloor on a small-hole 7-inch, it's another Mr. K sure shot! More

Danny Krivit's edit of Tony Orlando's "Don't Let Go" was released in Japan in 2012 and immediately became a sought-after, impossible to find rarity. Orlando's version of "Don't Let Go" was released at the height of the disco era, but the song itself was already a well-worn pop standard, having been covered by numerous artists before the pop singer tried his hand at it, switching things up with a percolating disco groove. "I never expected to rave about a Tony Orlando record," wrote Vince Aletti in his Record World column in June of 1978, "but this one's really terrific... My pick for a summer refresher." The Jimmy Simpson mix on the original 12-inch follows the vocals with a long instrumental section that teases the various elements provided by the Muscle Shoals band (guitar, vibes, strings, and above all a sinuous synth) back in over the relentless bass and drums. Danny's edit, which he's trimmed down for its debut on 7-inch, works with this instrumental break and more than lives up to Aletti's description as an addictive warm weather jam.

From the moody instrumental sound of "Don't Let Go" we move to the bright uptempo vocal track "I Fall In Love Everyday." In spite of the relative obscurity of this fabulous but lesser-known cut, it comes with a sparkling pedigree. "I Fall In Love Everyday" was written by Jay Graydon (whose credits also include "Turn Your Love Around" for George Benson and "Breakin' Away" for Al Jarreau), produced by Motown ace Mickey Stevenson (who wrote "Dancing In the Street") and arranged by David Foster, who was just making the transition from session keyboardist to the superstar songwriter/arranger he'd become. The backing track was first used for singer/TV personality Jaye P. Morgan's version of the song a year earlier, but you certainly can't blame the team for reusing the music when the band included studio heavyweights like Harvey Mason, Lee Ritenour, Ray Parker Jr., and Kenny Loggins. Danny's creative edit fashions a clean, DJ-friendly instrumental intro where none existed on the original, and gives new life to a track that's sure to bring some sunshine to dancefloors.

As always, these unique selections from Mr. K's personal stash are cut on a loud, club-ready 7-inch pressing. More

The latest from Mr. K and Most Excellent Unlimited pairs lowdown and stomping disco from an unlikely source with a funked-out floorfiller from some very familiar voices. Minnie Riperton's 1977 single "Stick Together" was an outlier in her catalog of smooth modern soul, an intentional nod in the direction of the prevailing disco sound. Co-written with Stevie Wonder, "Stick Together" in its original single release was divided into two parts, the first a fairly conventional uptempo cut with all the catchy qualities you'd expect from Stevie and the husband and wife team of Richard Rudolph and Minnie. It was the second half of the song that caught the ears of DJs who played for funkier dancefloors, however. Freddie Perren, a former member of Motown's legendary Corporation collective of songwriters and producers, and a man then red-hot off his success with Tavares' "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" and the Sylvers' "Boogie Fever," was on production duties, and the song clearly benefits from his disco-friendly touch. In Mr. K's epic edit we are treated to a lengthy exploration of the second part of "Stick Together," featuring keyboardist Sonny Burke (veteran of Marvin Gaye's band and fresh from playing on Candi Staton's disco smash "Young Hearts Run Free") working out an irresistible Jingo-esque piano part, Riperton's sensual ad-libs, and, as if that wasn't enough, a cameo appearance by Pam Grier on finger snaps! Krivit's 8-minute-plus edit passes way too quickly to get enough of the hypnotic groove - rewinds are called for! Our flip side, "Body Language," originated as an album cut on the Jackson Five's last album of original material for Motown, Moving Violation, recorded before Jermaine left to go solo and the remaining brothers joined Epic Records in a new incarnation as the Jacksons. For such an obvious heater it's puzzling why the label never released it as a single; but regardless of that apparent misstep, "Body Language" has long been a sure shot in many DJs' bags. With his new edit, Mr. K presents the track in its ultimate form, loud, remastered, stretched out and rippling with energy over a full six minutes. With an iconic bass line that just doesn't quit, and Michael and the boys in fine form, it's impossible to imagine a situation where this wouldn't set the room on fire. More

Tokyo tag-team Kei and Nagi Sugano, aka Dazzle Drums, have been responsible for secret weapons in the bags of some of the finest DJs since their debut in 2005. In addition to supporting Danny Krivit each time he plays in Tokyo, the duo periodically floats him exclusive edits to test out during his expansive sets. Two of these in particular have become regular features on M. K’s dance floors, and it is these prime choices that have been selected for the latest release on Most Excellent Unlimited. "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" takes the cinematic soul classic and toughens it up with a propulsive drum track and immaculate editing to extend and energize the already powerful tune. "Get Down Boy" is a relentlessly driving disco cut whose dramatic synth-and-string heavy instrumentation provides a plush bed for seductive female vocals before giving way to a tremendous bass break that is certain to leave dancers in a sweat. Reverently mastered and spread over a wide-grooved 12-inch single, it’s another MEU sure-shot.
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