Daybreakers keep it moving in 2026 with another essential drop from Chicago’s Vick Lavender. Following on from Vol. 1, Essential Traxx Vol. 2 digs even deeper into that soulful, live house sound that Vick’s been perfecting for decades on his label Sophisticado.

A musician, producer and DJ whose work bridges house, jazz and soul, Vick’s music has always carried that feeling — spiritual, rhythmic, and full of life. Part of Glenn Underground’s Strictly Jaz Unit back in the 90s, he helped carve out a sound that still resonates through clubs today. Sophisticado is his world now — real musicians, real instruments, and real emotion.

On the A side, Consequences featuring Spike Rebel rolls with organic percussion, warm keys and that signature Lavender groove — fluid, human, alive. Music built for the dance.

Flip it for Thanks I Get featuring Cei Bei — straight deep house from the source. Soulful vocals, deep chords, and that unmistakable Chicago energy that hits right where it should. Essential Traxx Vol. 2 continues the story. Real house music, deeper than deep.

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Daybreakers return with another one for the deep heads, welcoming Chicago legend Vick Lavender to the fold for Essential Traxx Vol. 1. A musician, producer and DJ with over three decades in the game, Vick’s music lives in that space where house, jazz, and soul connect.

Back in the 90s, Vick came up alongside Glenn Underground and Boo Williams as part of the influential Strictly Jaz Unit, helping shape a sound that still echoes through dancefloors today. In the years since, he’s built his own world through Sophisticado — music rooted in live musicianship, deep feeling, and that unmistakable Chicago soul. It’s real house music.

On the A side, 1.4.4.5 (Where It Started) lays down that signature Chicago pulse — rolling percussion, Rhodes chords, and basslines that unfold like a live jam. Deep, patient, the real Vick Lavender sound.

Flip it for Tiano Nuevo featuring Spike Rebel, a lush meeting of house, Latin, and jazz sensibilities. Guitars, percussion, and keys come together, the kind of tune that keeps a dark room or a sunrise session dancing.

Essential Traxx Vol. 1 captures what Daybreakers is all about. Deeper than deep house.

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Vick Lavender's four-track EP, "SuperHero," is a testament to Chicago House Music's enduring power. It's a journey through vibrant, classic, and futuristic soundscapes, all crafted with masterful purpose. Don’t Sleep on this Future Classic.

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Chicago deejay/producer VICK LAVENDER drops a double album of 14 house tracks. Disc one is a mix of influences and sounds with cuts featuring AMMAWHAT, ANGEL-A and SPIKE REBEL. Disc two focuses on the deep Chicago house sound VICK is best known for with extended mixes. Sure to please.

Tracklisting:
A1. 4-11 (5:44)
A2. A Space Love Affair (3:52)
A3. Acid Outpost (Album Version) (3:45)
A4. Archive 80 (Album Version) (5:44)
A5. Misty (4:47)
B1. 1981 (4:36)
B2. Again (w/ Ammawhat) (Album Version) (3:29)
B3. I.C.C. (Inner City Children) (4:44)
B4. Nothing Broken (w/ Angel-A) (4:41)
B5. Reminisce (Sign of the Times) (4:29)
C1. Herbie (Vick's Extended Time Traveler Mix) (11:15)
C2. Play (Vick's Jazz Playground Vamp Mix) (3:52)
D1. Flame (Vick's Extended Time Traveler Mix) (10:18)
D2. Rise I Rise (Vick's Extended Time Traveler Mix) (9:44)

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VICK LAVENDER is back with another quality vinyl release on his SOPHISTICADO label. First up is the title track "AFRO GO", an Afro jazz influenced piece that's sure to inspire dancers & deep house music lovers world wide. Next up is "AMBROSIA", an atmospheric yet deep house cut. The B side features a previously release collaboration with house music icon ROBERT OWENS: "TONIGHT". Bringing this EP to a close is the slow burner "ACID OUTPOST", with iconic Chicago acid house overtones, but then Vick & company (JUSTIN DILLARD) turns the acid concept on it's head and it becomes their vision totally (late night acid jazz??).

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3 tracks including an incredible reworking of WILLIE COLON's Latin classic "SET FIRE TO ME" alongside a bonus drum mix for extra dance floor excitement. If that isn't enough we get the highly sought after "THERE IT IS - FEAT. D. MILLZ" (KAI ALCE remix) for the first time ever on vinyl.

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The initial limited white label copies sold out in record time, and this "official" release now on black vinyl in full color printed jacket will likely do the same. These two long playing jazzy heaters are sure to move feet directly to the dance floor. The debut vinyl release on the new label started by the iconic Chicago retailer

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This is a formal introduction of the new label Ethnic Blend Music, brought to you by TMR (Track Mode Recordings) label head Brett Dancer. EBM will focus on specific musically based Deep and soulful house music productions. First out the gate is none other than Mr. Sophisticado himself, Vic Lavender. Two productions of pure bliss.

Song one "Are U Going My Way" (Time Traveler Rework) is Vic ‘s rendition of the Pat Metheny classic "Are you going with me". While keeping most elements of the classic production, Mr. Lavender added various elements which focus on his production style. True to his electronic jazz, funk, soul, and deep house roots. A Powerful interpretation of a world renown classic. Song two Prometheus takes us on a full journey from start to finish. Beats, Bassline, and lush chord structure. A Sophisticado trademark for production. TMR and Ethnic Blend are happy to be back releasing great music. Enjoy there is more to come! Thanks for the support.

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Featuring AMMA WHATT. VICK & CASAMENA come together for a soulful,jazz-filled journey, decorated with sultry vocals from AMMA WHATT. VICK's jazzed out mix & CASAMENA'S club ready excursion showcase their fullproduction repertoire, making it one for the club & the collection. Full color sleeve. Limited pressing

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Coming Soon is some dope fire from the one and only
Vick Lavender and his Sophisticado Recordings Outpost.
If you’re looking for some deep house that’s driven by true
musicianship,
then look no further than this eagerly awaited monster of a twelve
inch.
Championed by an exclusive bunch of dope music selectors,
this bad boy will not disappoint.
Get ready for some true dopeness coming soon!

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Infinite Salutations is a game of two halves from Coflo and Emmaculate, where free wheeling jazzy expression meet club ready grooves. Salutations feat. QVLN is a guitar led winner with sweet vocal touches and layered percussion. Infinite is more of a dancefloor bumper with cool keys, bass delving and barbed synths. The Bay Area's Coflo is a mainstay on the label, having chalked up a range of hits from the deeper If It Goes to his magical cover of Love's Masquerade. Illinois' Emmaculate touches down on Cataleya for the first time, fresh from his release on G.A.M.M. with DJ Spen, production work for Ten City and remixes for the likes of Incognito. With Infinite Salutations, Coflo and Emmaculate provide a fantastic start to 2026 for Cataleya.

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Athens based Aris Kokou debuts on Cataleya Music with a seriously deep EP. Think Ron Trent, Coflo or vintage Osunlade. Kokou is a seasoned producer, who released Drum&Bass on Good Looking and Tech grooves on Plastic City Suburbia with Bill Makris in the early 2000s. In recent times, he has been making the sort of Deep, Soulful and Afro influenced House we hear on Kalypso’s Island. The lead cut A Woman is a swinging hip shaker with grooving keys and thought provoking spoken vocals from SingTrece. The keys really fly on the Instrumental. Azymuth with Moulton Music regular Phaze Dee has the sort of jazzy vibe that you would expect. The EP finishes with the gorgeous flute and guitar driven Sacred Kalypso. This is one of the deepest and most spiritually aware EPs on Cataleya Music so far!

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This record is a Chicago collaboration between Vick Lavender and a legendary singer and producer, Ron Carroll. Ron is best known as the voice of timeless winners like Back Together, Angel and Lucky Star. Vick Lavender is a high profile producer and remixer and a regular on Cataleya Music. He runs his own Sophisticado Recordings label and has recently released two LPs, Beyond and Time Traveler. All I Got For You (Is Love) is a proper vocal anthem. It features funky guitars, star kissed keys and a committed vocal delivery. This is classic Soulful House from Carroll and Lavender! Paint A Picture is a key driven winner that will put you in a positive mood. Modern House songs that really deliver like the classics are rare, but Vick and Ron are on point with the memorable All I Got For You (Is Love).


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Malta’s Melchior Sultana is a multi-instrumentalist with releases on labels like Ten Lovers Music, Oath and Underground Quality. Not to mention his own Profound Sound Music label or collaborations with Owen Jay. Here he debuts on Cataleya Music with Ghost, which is an uplifting deep winner with a Mediterranean feel. The vocals from Janelle Pulo give it a spiritual edge. Guitars and synths do the heavy lifting. Kai Alcé’s NDATL Remix really focuses on the piano keys, taking it further into Deep and Spiritual territory. Vick Lavender’s Higher Frequency Remix is a brass and key journey. This heavier interpretation gets seriously jazzy later on. Ghost is a strong debut from Sultana, backed by high quality remixes.

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Cataleya reach double digits with a very special cover of a Soulful House classic. Coflo freshens up 280 West’s Love’s Masquerade for modern audiences with the help of Canadian vocalist CEE. Their sparkling cover is backed by mixes from Vick Lavender, DJ Spinna and more from Coflo. Coflo’s Classic mix has the vibe of the 90s mixes, whilst Vick turns the track into a glorious synth addled bumper. Spinna offers his own version, where sturdy beats, vocals and free flowing keys combine. This is a fantastic update of a classic!

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South African producer Cool Affair returns to Cataleya with an innovative track that blends genres effortlessly. Motoric Patterns is a real hypnotic groover, with sweet keys and vocal harmonies. The sound is somewhere between Broken Beat, Downtempo and even Deep House. Keyboard wizard and Broken Beat pioneer Kaidi Tatham provides a fantastic remix. His version features classic fractured beats and soul kissed touches. Tatham even adds an extra vocal hook. Motoric Patterns is a singular winner!

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If It Goes is Coflo at his Deepest. The Bay Area producer has long been making his name at the organic end of Deep House with releases on labels such as Tribal Winds, Ocha and Yoruba Records. If It Goes is a true spiritual journey. A glorious flute, flexing guitar and a whole host of other instruments create a soul touching groove on this fantastic track. If that wasn’t enough, the Deeper Mix is a thoughtful counterpoint where a demonstrative flute and expressive keys dominate. Sweden’s Cataleya Music shows just how deep they can go on the imaginative If It Goes. File next to records by Joe Claussell, Antonio Ocasio and Ron Trent.

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Cataleya Music follow up their debut from Vick Lavender with Let Me Show You from Zephan aka Cool Affair. The Johannesburg based producer has been making music since 2006. The Prince of Broken Beats has a Jazz background, evident in his music released as Cool Affair and Zephan. Let Me Show You has a magical melody, icy chords and textured percussion. Cool Affair’s vocals add an extra dimension. Alongside the original, we get a ‘Galactic Soul Remix’ from the legendary DJ Spinna. The Brooklyn born producer needs little introduction, at home with Hip Hop, House and everything in between. On this remix, Spinna opts for swaying synths and flips the keys. This remix complements Zephan’s original perfectly. After only two releases, Sweden’s Cataleya Music show they are an imprint to watch.

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Next up in our Cuban Classics series, one of the jewels of record label Areito’s extensive and sought-after catalogue. Ricardo Eddy Martinez’s Expreso Ritmico from 1978 is a prized album fusing funk, disco, and orchestrated influences with Afro-Cuban percussion, Latin breaks, and lush vocal harmonies.

Whilst maintaining its distinctive Cuban identity, Expreso Ritmico is one of the more American / Western-influenced Cuban titles of the time drawing inspiration from jazz funk, disco, and library music. The album was directed, written, and orchestrated by keyboardist and drummer Ricardo Eddy Martinez, who was also the mastermind behind the orchestration of the Los Reyes 73 album (that was recently reissued by Mr Bongo). Martinez would later go on to work with international musicians and singers such as Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, Chick Corea, and many more, whilst also working as a sound engineer in the US.

Produced by Adolfo Pichardo, who worked on much of Areito’s output, Expreso Ritmico is packed with gold. The opening title track carries a loose, breezy Latin-disco-funk vibe that breaks into a brilliant Afro-Cuban workout. ‘Que La Tristeza Se Fue’ was expertly sampled and looped by Jazzanova on their 2008 song ‘Look What You Are Doing To Me, featuring Phonte from the hip hop group Little Brother. Elsewhere, ‘Tambo Iya’ has an Afro-funk, Soul Makossa-esque groove, while tracks such as ‘Te Quedas’, ‘Mi Conga Es La Que Es’ and ‘La 132’ run with a heavy pulsating Latin-funk sound. Head to the sultry psych funk of ‘Este Tumbao’ for a spacey journey that blends and morphs through genres.

A record that was ahead of its time, Expreso Ritmico is a superb and unique album that merges western influence with Cuban flair. It comes housed in a replica of its original Cuban sleeve design.

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