When it comes to breathing new life into classic cuts Joseph Caserta is as good as it gets, proven many times on his imprint BridgeBoots.

Making punchy and jackin' house, sounding like it's been dipped in some secret sauce is another trick of his.

The first track on his Local Talk debut, Hip Hop, comes in two flavours with the special sauce added on top.
Both the Rap Mix and the Haus Dub got swinging drums and a meaty, stabby chord that keeps the energy tight.

On the flip, 'g'Head' is a punchy and bumpy house jacker that takes a hold of you and doesn't let go. More

Caserta’s favourite era of house was when the line between hip hop and house was really only made visible by the tempo of the songs. An art mastered by legends like Kenny Dope, Armand Van Helden and DJ Sneak to name a few.

FF to 2023, Caserta returns to that form with Joe’s Boutique. An obvious nod to the craftwork of the seminal album Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boy’s. Caserta fired up the samplers and sliced and diced his way to his first EP in years. With swinging drums, heavy basslines, chopped up vocals and music you might think you stumbled across a lost Strictly Rhythm acetate but mixed and mastered to year 2728 by the man himself.

Complete with vocal interludes segueing from track to track this truly is a listening experience as well as a dance floor filler all in one. More

From the mind of Caserta comes a brand-new imprint. God Hour picks up where Bridge Boots left off putting Caserta right back to work doing what he’s come to be best known for; turning old school joints, usually not meant for the dance floor, into modern day heaters.

'Playa' takes a '70s ballad about the one who got away and makes it a little less heart wrenching and a lot more danceable! The A side features the full vocal surrounded by the driving bass, drums and horns any good disco record should have. With lush Rhodes, strings and synths to warm things up and make you wonder where things went awry even while you’re 2 stepping the night away.

For those of you who cant come to grips with the fact that that special someone is gone or just plain hate lyrics then flip-er on over for a classic Caserta Dub. More

The summer of Bridge Boots is kicking into high gear! Back at it with 2 new hot mixes of a classic vocal Caserta presents Monk.

The A Side’s Head Nod features a mid-tempo chugger with a stellar string arrangement composed by Ryan "Lucky Ry" Stockbridge himself. With the light at the end of the COVID tunnel (seemingly/hopefully) coming into focus its time to get the party started once again on the B Side. The Foot Work mix with its jackin drums, vocal chops and a rippin’ sax solo should do just the trick! More

Repress!
Caserta is back with another vocal you haven’t heard on it’s own before with music that defies the time period the song was actually recorded in. If it wasn’t for the recognizable vocal that is Curtis the A Side could be confused with something you might of found on Beat Electric back in the day. Growling bass and boogie synths stabs make for a west coast post disco affair.

While the B side is a cheeky take on another 80s classic from the legendary Solar Records catalog. With the familiar 808 drum and lush 80s synths it might be a bit of a task to figure out what version to sing along with! More

A1 - Caserta’s Baby Maker Dub
B1 - Caserta's 909 Mix

A little known release on Scott Diaz’s now defunct Connectd records makes its first appearance on vinyl! Anyone that knows Caserta knows his affinity for '90s r&b. For (M) he snags a vocal from one of the most underrated and under appreciated vocalists of that time period. With two mixes featuring the keyboard stylings of the incomparable Yuki 'U-Key' Kanesaka the Dub version gets top billing on the A Side. Smooth keys by the aforementioned Kanesaka with a stripped down arrangement are sure to keep you 2 stepping no matter where your are.

On the B Side Caserta uses the same set up but this time with the classic 909 Drum Machine to keep take things to the next level! More

From the mind of CASERTA comes a limited one sided stamped release with two tracks. The first is a lo-fi collage of deep synth basslines & underlying bubbling acid & the second is a beatdown style story of groove, funky as phuck with a deep hypnotic bassline. Both raw, rough & ready (check the funky JESSE JACKSON samples on A1). Get it today! More

A1 - Ricky 2 (Caserta’s Multitrack Edit)
B1 - Ricky 2 (Caserta's Intoxicated Mix)

With a little bit of research you'll realize that Ricky 1 actually didn’t come out on Bridge Boots but on thatmanmonkz imprint Shadeleaf back in 2015 and received loved from Matthew Dear and Sam Divine to name a few.

A little over 5 years later and Caserta is back with the sequel! Contrary to popular belief Caserta doesn’t usually 'edit' (with the exception of BB45003 release Diana). But he decided to bust out the ole’ Razor-N-Tape for the 40 year anniversary of this dancefloor classic! While anyone with party rock capabilities can improve on an already classic composition. 'Supa Engineer Caserta' made sure to take his time to take make sure the sonics went for 1981 to 2081.

The flip side delivers more of the tried and true Bridge Boots formula people have come to love with a hard hitting deep house joint sure to light up the dance floor once we start to put Roni-19 behind us!

Lastly...who the hell is Sheldon?? More

A1 - Stevie? (Caserta’s Sunday Saint Mix)
B1 - Stevie? (JoDaCe’s Saturday Sinner Mix)

Soulful house and techno versions of a classic song not sung by the artist you would think! Caserta welcomes JoDaCe to the BB imprint! More

A1 - Luther 2 (Caserta & The Gang Mix)
B1 - Luther 2 (Caserta & Natasha Diggs Incense Dub)

At the beginning of quarantine Caserta reached out to Audionamix resident wizard Doc Vaporz to work his magic on another one from the catalogue of Caserta’s favourite vocal talent of all time.

Luther 2 (Caserta & The Gang’s Mix) features a star-studded cast, most notably DJ and record digging diva Natasha Diggs on Rhodes and Boston disco historian Serge Gamesbourg on bass. For an anthemic disco mix that should never be confused with an edit and should literally have you ‘Lost In Music’.

On the flip Caserta coaxes the aforementioned Natasha Diggs out from behind the keys and up to the microphone to give a sassy, sultry and sensual retort to Luther’s previous cry for forgiveness. More

A1 - Caserta’s Rooftop Mix
B1 - Caserta's Basement Dub
Special Valentine's release - this one's for the lovers baby!
Fresh off the sequel to Bobby, Caserta and co welcome Teddy to the BB family. With another iconic voice spread out on 2 distinct mixes, Caserta is a firm believer in the “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” approach.
The A Side takes you under the stars of a rooftop disco on a warm summer night. With live bass and triumphant horns this mix is sure to have you feeling right into the wee hours. Speaking of the wee hours, when that time approaches you can flip her on over to the B Side for the ‘Bassment Dub’. The repetitive bassline and hard drums are sure to take you right until sun up! More

New Year, New Bobby. Caserta and trusty sidekick, Lucky Ry, get back in the saddle to present the sequel to the release that started it all, once again starting with a classic cut from the blue-eyed soul genius and turning it into a dance floor heater.
Triumphant horns, warm bass, and thumping live drums come together to make up the 70’s mix, while LOUD DRUMS scream 80’s mix. Caserta and Co. once again provide two distinct mixes that are sure to set off any party.
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It's a strange new post-everything musical landscape we occupy.
The machines - you could argue - have been playing the humans for some time, and the conversation became pretty one-sided.
But you know, not everyone is singing from that hymn sheet. That Man Monkz enjoyed the apprenticeship at House PLC more than the opportunity to progress to middle management.
Itchy musical feet meant extended exploration of fertile avenues of interest like the Madison Washington & Pan Amsterdam Hip Hop projects, meanwhile the pull of the 4/4 was never far from the studio door, and all accomplished with an assured versatility that shines.
Musical alliances formed in the disparate but related playgrounds of Detroit, Sheffield, Berkeley and Atlanta, all underpinned by an emphasis on seeking out collaborations and gigs, which represented a real exchange of energies, rather than a bank raid.
Letting things percolate in this more measured way means we've arrived here, a follow up of sorts to 2016's 'Columbusing'
This is Monkz allowing the ear ringing of gigs to feedback organically into bright dance floor flashes, which by virtue of their careful crafting are destined to last much longer.
On Zero Sum, we get a much greater economy of elements on the pared down dance floor ammo like 'Freaks N Prophets' & 'Chai Tea', a perfect counterpoint to beautifully realised pieces like 'Them Thangs feat Ms Fae' & 'After Dark with Nikki O' interspersed with funk-heavy workouts and sample jams like 'Easy Still', 'LvnLmtd' & the unashamedly KDJ influenced shamanism of 'WhatUthinkIDo'
It's a pick 'em and stick 'em ride of individual gems and a cohesive whole too.
The opposite of thrown together, this has been worked and weathered, naturally.
The House always wins, but sometimes...just sometimes. More

The mighty SHADELEAF pull in a seriously strong U.S team for their twelfth release Damon Bell from Oakland, is a chief Connoisseur at heralded Deepblak Recordings, and stands strong offering a complex variety of sounds that ebb and flow through all of his productions. Known for his polyrhythmic, organic, and soul-filled musical releases on Deepblak Recordings & Sound Of Speed Records Japan, he has also scored critically acclaimed releases recently on Burek, Meda Fury, and Don't Be Afraid. This collaborative EP with the vocalist (good friend and former Oakland, and now Berlin resident) Khalil Anthony, features a production collaboration with Shadeleaf's own Thatmanmonkz, and a remix from the mighty Afrikan Sciences
As always, top drawer isht Another Shadeleaf sureshot ! More

Having effortlessly chalked up 10 stunning releases, the SHADELEAF crew decided to let the catalogue do the talking loud and proud with some remixes from the cream of the Deep House crop ! Byron The Aquarius, Al Zanders, Luke Solomon & Inkswel all provide sophisticated but raw reinterpretations of some choice Shadeleaf catalogue cuts, bringing a new lease of life to these predominantly vocal jams and putting new flesh on the Soulful bones in the process
An incredible start for the label, celebrated in fine style with some heavyweight re-do's - yes indeed !
Top drawer isht Another Shadeleaf sureshot ! More

SHADELEAF continue a fine and unbroken run of form with a stunning new EP from Chris Grant AKA SIMBA. 'Make Your Move' opens things up with a beautifully executed, thumpin' House jam, with J Gordon adding an effortless vocal performance. Sounds like a classic already ! 'Susan Sorandom' (track title of the year ?) bumps along on a broad Funkineven style groove, with killer drops and deft use of melodic hooks. 'Compete' explores a more broken flex, but still shot through with that magical Simba swing. Finally 'Marvellous' hacks up the Prince Of Soul like never before, an absolutely deadly rewire that is the best Ugly Edit that never came out Top drawer isht More

SHADELEAF continues, with a strident 7 out of 7 on the scoreboard ! Following a stunning (and sell-out !) EP earlier last year, the North East's answer to Michigan's finest, steps up again, with probably his strongest work to date. Mannmademusic became known very quickly, over the space of a few low key, but expertly realised edits releases for the likes of Glenview, Lumberjacks In Hell & Diner City Sounds. This EP sees him continue wearing his influences proudly, but re-imagine them in an altogether rawer framework - Samples woven together, augmented and redefined, some of it following the classic KDJ blueprint but laid out in a style that's all his own. Those familiar loops submerged and unfurling, rubbing up against altogether more off-kilter but coherent workouts, sat alongside perfectly measured electronic jams all combining into an EP that stands head and shoulders above the competition. Another Shadeleaf sureshot ! More

The SHADELEAF MUSIC label has finally got your attention it seems ! Breakthrough 12's across their first 5 releases have firmly established Thatmanmonkz's label of love as a heavyweight Deep House contender ! Ever keen to open up the crease to new batsmen, the guys have assembled a deadly duo of big hitters for their their sixth innings. Belarus, not perhaps the first place you'd think of when it comes to solid House music, but Four Walls have certainly dropped more than their fair share of jams across labels of note like Kolour Ltd & Traxx Underground. here's he's teamed up with fellow Grodno resident FUNKYJAWS for a style that's firmly fixated with the roots US House blueprint, but with a fresh take, that's all their own. Saine ought to need no introduction, but for those at the back, across a mere handful of releases (his Sleazybeats EP was one of our fastest selling...ever !) this young talent has made quite a mark - His 'Drifter EP' on Must Have is one of our favourite House 12's of recent times. What better way to demonstrate the Shadeleaf spirit of collaboration then getting these two established up-and-comers to reinterpret each other's work ? Live organic percussion, and the warming hiss and glow of machine circuits conspire to deliver perfectly balanced hip-shaking equations and low end theories. and that's just the F Side !.
Flip for the S side (get it ?) and we're into Theoesque territory, with a rasping riff snaking through some deft Rhodes work and to-the-bone rhythms, while Four Walls & Funkyjaws offer up a swinging and irresistible rub to wrap it all up Top shelf tackle ladies and gents More

THATMANMONKZ is certainly enjoying a fine run of form ! Heavy duty releases for Delusions Of Grandeur & Kolour Ltd, alongside a steadily building and essential catalogue on his own Shadleaf Music label For their fifth outing the label has opted for a split single, with French House royalty Ludovic Llorca AKA Art Of Tones handling A Side duties 'So Worried' marries a spoken word vocal with an irrsesistible clipped organ led and bumpin' House workout that sounds a lot like fellow Frenchman St Germain did way back when. Monkz handles the flip with the kind of rough and ready sample-House jam the label has championed 'Got To Get To' strings together a handful of live instrumentation & melodies in classic collage style, while the Dub strips down and houses up the ingredients for a clonked out finale More

SHADELEAF return with their fourth release, further cementing their reputation as far more than 'one to watch' with another stunning and original selection of Deep House workouts The North East may very well be the UK's answer to Michigan, with artists like 003 contributor Ny*Ak alongside the architect of this EP Mannmademusic giving the Motor City crews a run for their money ! Mannmademusic became known very quickly, over the space of a few low key, but expertly realised edits releases for the likes of Glenview, Lumberjacks In Hell & Diner City Sounds For his debut release on Shadeleaf, he wears his influences proudly - Classic loops, loosely screwed onto raw rhythm tracks, with the Funk allowed to flow freely. It's firmly in the KDJ / Theo universe of House, but with a very English roughness, which - like all Shadeleaf releases, really sets these grooves apart 'If You Don't Do It' sounds like the best basement jam-session you could imagine, all loosely stitched samples, bubbling low end lines, those all important keys and some palm slapping rhythms, one for the footworkers ! 'Flexing' again uses a familiar loop as the scaffolding for an irresistible synth-line to unfold and amp up the intensity, until the deadly rhodes payoff - Five minutes of pure funk The EP's title track feat Kali, is a beautifully lazy deep house gem, smoked out and hypnotic bliss Label boss Thatmanmonkz steps up for B2, transforming 'Rough Times' into one of his trademark Boom Bap House jammies Jazz elements weaving around neck-snapping MPC beats & wide low end theories... A stunning EP then, and an essential addition to what's fast becoming a classic catalogue ! . More

SHADELEAF reaches out to the tribes and comes home with a serious crop to see us through ! For their debut V.A selection 'Please Come Correct' Thatmanmonkz has pulled in some serious talent from the fringes of forward-thinking House Ny*Ak fires the opening beatdown salvo,'U Don't Understand', and cooks up another of those loose, low riding, sample heavy and heady jams, reminiscent of Berlin via early Sound Signature that made last year's EP for Intimate Friends via Rush Hour such an essential! Next up Cape Town's Jumping Back Slash, who's been making some serious music, fusing elements of S.A House with Kwaito and, well pretty much anything else he can throw into the mix to move your assets. 'Bloodlines' however could just as easily have emanated from 8 Mile, a captivating piece of pure, crisply rendered machine soul back lit with township chants and emotive chords.
Mr 'monkz himself handles B1, and to say this guy's on a roll would be something of an understatement! Much like Graef and Co, 'imgettintiredofyou' is Deep House that dines out on a diet of Hip Hop, dirty hertz in the low registers and deftly manipulated sample work throughout - killer stuff! Finally our truly global selection winds up in Moscow as another hotly tipped up-and-comer Lay-Far gives us 'Many-Sided'. Fans of last year's excellent EP on Fifty Fathoms Deep will know what to expect. Again, a loosely pieced together cut, hinting at West London vibes,and shot through with creative sampling and an undeniable ear for melody and groove that really shines. More

Following their seriously strong debut release from rising talent & label mastermind THAT MAN MONKZ We have an absolutely superb duo of reworks (and dubs) from the man himself & Chicago polymath Khalil Anthony, an author, musician and celebrated collaborator in theatre productions, including emmy award winning broadband series entitled, itsallinyourhands.com. As well as penning and performing on two acclaimed LP's, his writing can also be seen in Marc Bamuthi Josephs highly acclaimed hip-hop theatre production, Word Becomes Flesh. Khalil Anthony has toured for the last three years with the Living Word Project, and Word Becomes Flesh and also serves as the Educational Director for the tour. This long distance collaboration offers us a totally unique and seriously fresh project for Shadeleaf Music. Needed You Bad taken from his latest LP 'Train', fuses blues samples, a raw, spoken word / sung hymn to yearning & that, by now trademark roughed up & heavy duty T.M.M MPC rhythm work. For the dub, we get an irresistible rump-shaker with a killer KDJesque bassline, custom made to make you move ! On the flip Shelter delves into the worldly vibes of Osunlade, as the mesmerising jazz elements and unique vocals once again combine to conjur up a deadly voodoo funk-out. Again, the dub stripes back those key elements to their raw essence and deftly works the groove in the time honoured tradition of the legendary NY club space of the same name - strictly for the foot-working crew ! More