Vega US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Vega Records is back with more of its superbly live and joyous sounds from label chief Louie Vega. Elements Of Life Eclipse Part Two is another gorgeously spiritual record packed with life affirming grooves that distill Latin, soul, house and more into talks that brim with charm. Plenty of stellar musicians appear throughout including Axel Tosca on Fender Rhodes, Luisito Quintero & Roberto Vilera on percussion and Gene Perez on bass on the grand opener 'Feelin Liek Rio.' From there the quality level remain high, with Fender Rhodes solos, brilliant spoken word by Ursula Rucker and many more highlights along the way.

Review: Last summer, veteran singer/songwriter Mike Lindup dropped 'Time To Let Go', a delicious fusion of synth-pop, Afro-pop and dreamy soul that was set to feature on his long-promised follow-up to 1990 album Changes. Now Masters at Work man Louie Vega has got his hands on it and delivered a suite of fresh, club-ready reworks. Vega's EP-opening 'Expressions NYC Mix' does a great job in wrapping Lindup's original vocals, fluid pianos, chords and squelchy synth-bass around a snappy house groove, subtly re-framing it for peak-time floors. The 'Two Soul Afro House Fusion' mix is arguably even better, with Vega adding layers of delicious instrumentation to a Tony Allen-inspired Afro-house beat. Throw in a couple of instrumentals and a handy 'Beats' version and you have an excellent package.

Review: Here's something to get the juices flowing: a killer, dancefloor-friendly cover version of Barrabas's 1972 funk-rock classic 'Woman' by salsa singer George LaMond, legendary producer Louie Vega, and the latter's expansive Elements of Life band. Vega's EP-leading 'Main Mix' is a richly percussive, 11-minute fusion of Latin disco and funk rock topped off with clipped guitar riffs, heavy organ chords and a killer lead vocal from LaMond. Vega provides numerous remixes himself, including an extra-percussive rhythm track ('Quintero Beats') and a salsa-inspired "Latin Soul Mix" that's almost as essential as the main version. Elsewhere, old pal David Morales provides a breezy salsa house remix and an organ-heavy dub, while Frankie C's "Brazilian Mix" is a carnival-friendly affair that's seriously infectious and life-affirming.

Review: Louie Vega remains a towering presence in house music 30+ years after making his early mark. As a solo artist, he deals in soulful, Latin-tinged and musical house sounds that are lavish in arrangement and often made with real instrumentals. The Vega boss now serves up a bumper collection of previously unreleased tunes across no fewer than ten sides of vinyl. There are collaborations, remixes, demos, dubs and reworks along the way and the range in impressive - from deep and triable joints to shuffling samba sounds and back again, this is a vital collection from a real house master.