Eli Escobar returns for his 9th full length LP. While his last few projects found him exploring downtempo beats, EBM and ambient influences, this latest offering of Eli's studio craftsmanship marks a return to the sound of his early releases like Up All Night and Happiness. Warm samples expertly woven into classic drum machine rhythms and searing synth lines, The Beach Album takes listeners on a journey through golden era hip hop beats, feel-good NY-styled house grooves into sweaty techno bangers. Similar to Eli's DJ sets, the 16 track long player has something for everyone. Created during the uncertainty of the pandemic when as Eli put it, "It didn't feel like the right time to release dance music," The Beach album celebrates the return of NY nightlife and optimism for the future. More

Just over a year on since he released his stunning LP ‘Happiness’ on Classic Music Company, Eli Escobar returns to the label with an album which couldn’t be further removed in sentiment. Whereas ‘Happiness’ radiated sublime house/disco hybrid bliss throughout, ‘Shout’ is a heartfelt rage against America’s developing political disasters. The quintessential New York City DJ, Eli is a devoted collector, explorer and connoisseur of all kinds of music from his hip-hop roots. He is hugely well-respected in the New York club circuit after over two decades of mutual love for the city and the house scene. Having been switched on to Eli by his debut album ‘Up All Night’, Classic Music Company is now his creative home. ‘Shout’ starts robustly with ‘Nightmare Rag’, police sirens ringing out in the background while a disgruntled voice repeats “ode to America” and a dream-like piano riff gathers momentum, turning into a punchy acid beat. Giving way to tangible heartbreak in ‘Interlude (American Sorrow)’ with lamenting saxophone and light percussion, Eli maintains the political message in ‘The People’, urging the listener to wake up by using crafty vocal samples and hypnotic chords. Further highlights include heavier tracks like ‘Muzik’ which picks up the pace of the record, before ‘City Song’ brings back the New York house vibe with vocal cuts and warm synths. ‘City Song Part 2’ and ’Body and Soul’ show Eli’s disco influences while ‘Goin’ On?’ flickers with hope.
A stormy departure from the glowing balminess of his previous LPs, ‘Shout’ addresses Eli’s anguish over his country hitting self-destruct, while still putting his own twist on his city’s house and disco soundtrack, joining the dots between yesterday’s golden era classics and today’s club anthems. Underpinning it all is Eli’s acute musical sensitivity; whether it’s a straight-up party jam or a crafty disco cut-up, warmth and soul are poured in. More

When it was released in the summer of 2016, Eli Escobar’s Happiness blew people away with its sophisticated house/disco hybrid sound and striking urban landscape. Critics were falling over themselves to hyperbolise over Eli’s exquisite synth stabs while the coveted double LP continues to sell through to this day. The quintessential New York DJ, Eli’s Happiness stomped through the streets of his city, stopping off along the way at the jumping Brooklyn basement clubs and dusty record shops that he frequents. Some months later, developing on those themes seemed like the most natural thing to do; hands flew up across the board for remixing duties and assembling the extended Classic family to contribute was an easy, nay joyful, task. Happy Again was born, giving the album a fresh new suit of clothes. Re-works from Kon, SoulPhiction and Yam Who? alongside bonus versions of tracks from the original album makes this the ultimate vinyl bumper pack. More

Local NYC boy Eli Escobar makes better than good on his debut release for RNT with a 4-tracker of secret heat from his personal arsenal! The EP bursts out of the gate with Bullfight of Love, blazes through the percussion heavy Everybody, hits full stride with the reworked Paradise Garage staple The Music, then lets us down nice and easy with Seven Eleven Pay your fare and take a ride on the NYC underground! More

It’s been a couple of years since Classic released an original artist album, the last one being Luke Solomon’s critically praised ‘Timelines’. This time round Classic brings a relative newcomer into the fold. Eli Escobar has slowly been building a credible reputation out of his home in New York, releasing his first single back in the late nineties and moving more recently from hip hop into dance music. As a DJ, he harks back to a golden era of disco and early house music, graduating through the 90s during which he was brought up on a diet of underground house including Classic’s early output. In recent years Classic’s head was turned by his wonderful album ‘Up All Night’ that was released on Night People, a label from New York that Eli (pronounced ‘EL-EE’) has a vested interest in. Following up the album with a series of singles, the label swiftly became a cult dance classic. ‘Happiness’ continues from where ‘Up All Night’ left off, championing the disco cut-up ethos from lesser known staples. Eli also enlists the vocal talents of Nomi Ruiz and the legendary Vanessa Daou, who most notably featured on the classic Danny Tenaglia and Peter Daou’s, ‘Surrender Yourself’ back in the 90s. Moving from straight up house party jams such as the title track, ‘Happiness Pt 2’ into raw Chicago work outs like ‘Chaka Khan’, Mood II Swing inspired deepness such as ‘Winters Anthem’ and ‘I Need U’, before wrapping it all up with straight up disco floor fillers like ‘Phreeky’ and ‘Can’t Stop Dancing’. ‘Happiness’ will surely solidify Eli Escobar’s place as more than a “one to watch” producer, this will take him into the realms of a torch bearer for a new generation of underground dance acts. More