Lewis Dene's Inside Track

ARMAND VAN HELDEN & A-TRAK had quite possibly the biggest club record of 2009 with 'aNYway' under their DUCK SAUCE alias. Now the two smash it again with 'Grandsteppin'', an oh-so-simple filtered disco gem built around MFBS' Philly anthem 'TSOP' (an acronym for The Sound Of Philadelphia). There's very little to this as far as meat on the bones, but in the best traditions of the pivotal masterminds in the Gallic house movement a decade ago, this hits you like a vintage-Subliminal-release-meets-Roulè-with-a-touch-of-Sneak thrown in for good measure. An energy driven, bass rumbling, floor-filler of warm throbbing grooves, disco sampled riffs, and the occasional "come on" vocal hook. It's a simple formula, often imitated yet rarely equalled...

As if you've not already guessed, big room chords are back and they don't come any bigger than the O.T. QUARTET'S 'Hold That Sucker Down' from '94; a precursor from ROLLO for what would follow with FAITHLESS. Germany's JEROME ISMA-AE now offers his progressive take on things with an excellent dark, deep and burbling version, forthcoming via Pilot6, built on a sound-bed that washes over the senses and burrows into every pore, and all without ever sounding overly drawn-out. The combination of heavy percussion, tough beats and that hauntingly striking synth-line is a potent combination and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser...

THOMAS BANGALTER & DJ FALCON'S  'So Much Love To Give' was one of the defining moments in early twenty-first century clubbing culture, and it makes a welcome return in the currently resurgent disco-house market thanks to a subtle, yet highly contemporary sounding, re-edit from ARNO COST. The French producer adds little by way of new ideas to the REAL THING 'Love's Such A Wonderful Thing' sample-based anthem, but the original, from his two fellow countrymen (under their guise of Together), needs no excuse to once more find its way into DJ sets...

Another epochal recording making a welcome return is 'FAST' EDDIE SMITH & KENNY 'JAMMIN' JASON'S 'Can U Dance' - one of the first jackin' Chicago house releases from 1987 to gain wider notoriety and expose the masses to the new art form emanating from the city's clubs. The contemporary heat, on the Premier Muzik release, comes from Canadians HATIRAS and GINO OLIVIERI, along with London's HOXTON WHORES, who together help reignite this timeless hip-house anthem for a new generation...

AARON PEREZ makes quality house music with more than a passing nod to the heady days of the Paradise Garage and Studio 54. The Canadian, now based in Las Vegas, grew up in the '80s listening to the dance hits of the day, and his upcoming 'Feel The Funk EP', on Gossip, perfectly reflects his inspirations. Pitched somewhere between ATFC, HOTT 22 and C-MOS, cuts like 'Feel Good' are based around SHALAMAR'S 'I Can Make You Feel Good', while 'We Got The Funk' takes a large bite outta POSITIVE FORCE'S track of the same name. They're laced with French reference points a la Crydamoure (no bad thing either!) and certainly offer a refreshing take on your bog standard cover version. If you like the works of SEAN BIDDLE, MARC POPPCKE and the aforementioned trio, you'll love Aaron Perez...

REZA launches his new Rezonation label, with an aim to unite house music lovers, and to underscore his intentions, first up is his 'House Is A Feeling', that comes backed with remixes by K KLASS and DIRTY SECRETZ. Other artists lined up to release/mix for the label include JONATHAN ULYSSES, DJ DOVE, NICOLE TYLER and DIEGO DRUMZ...

STONEBRIDGE is putting the final touches to his third artist album, 'The Morning After'. Due in time for Miami via his Stoney Boy imprint, it features a plethora of guests, including ERIRE, DAYEENE, LA TRICE VERRETT, NANCHANG NANCY, KAYSEE and ANITA KELSEY along with co-producers CHRIS MALINCHAK, LEM SPRINGSTEEN and WAWA.