KIKKO ESSE Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Kikko Esse aka Michele Sodano drops some superbly summery house sounds on Groovin Italy just as the sun has finally arrived here in the UK. These tunes tap into lots of different reference points, from the machine soul of Detroit to the humid melodies of West Coast house and the Balearic grooves of the White Isle. 'Moonlight' kicks off with nice jazzy melodies and sultry trumpets, then 'Keep On' taps into a classic diva vocal. 'Deep Our Soul is for when things head indoors and the sun has set and you want to cruise on a nice blissed out and clean house vibe, then 'Free From' gets more loose and playful on soulful house drums.

Review: Soul Departure clicks up its fifth EP here with Kikko Esse the able producer at the helm for the occasion. 'Deep Mind' is indeed deep but it's fulsome too - warm pads rush through the air waves as the drums and kicks establish the groove below. '4 PM' is more stripped back to the thudding kicks and lo-fi synth leads but diffuse chords bring plenty of late night soul. There is an upbeat energy to the surging house warmth of B-side opener 'Take It Easy' then 'Make It' shuts down in devastatingly emotional fashion with heart-melting chords and nagging little vocal hooks.

Review: The Tropical Disco crew continue to show an utter disregard for the season by serving up more of their seamy and summer grooves. The super strong Various Artists collection kicks off with the funky bass riffs of 'In Motion' from Phazed Groove, who ride the riffs and fluttering flute lines to the cosmos and back again. Ziggy Phunk gets more raw and punchy with a freewheeling disco house cut that will shake your booty loose and on the backside are two more timeless tracks: 'Funky Tranky' has lush trumpets reaching for the skies and 'Calabao' brings a real Latin vibe and flailing percussive energy.