We start presenting our favorite tracks from 2024. More or less in a chronological order we present here the seventh set of tracks.
2024 Best Tracks part 7 (of 10)
andres
Andrés – GT Flips 313-006 [GTFLIPS313-006]
DJ Dez Andres drops new heat on his label GT Flips. The man is a beat-making machine, extraordinary DJ and avid record collector who distils all that house and hip-hop knowledge into his always stylish cuts. ‘No 1’ opens up this latest jam on GT Flips and has a boogie-fried lead synth line, deep drums and chopped vocals that amp up the party but also have plenty of heart to them. ‘Doobie’ is the flipside offering and it finds Andres sampling another 80s soul classic and reworking it over some of his textbook and textured drums that perfectly straddle the house and hip-hop divide.
Andrés – GTFlip313-002 [GTFLIP313-002]
From the wide-ranging livestream sets he does from his basement to the sprawling hip hop and house albums he does for Moodymann’s Mahogany via disco-laced house anthems like ‘New 4 U’, Andres always unites this music with a unique sense of groove and emotion. That is still true now as he steps out on GT Flips with a bunch of electro-leaning cuts that are classy yet primed and ready to ignite any party. Track 2 is a quick and punch one with ghetto undercurrents and jazzy keys, Track 4 is an excellent ass-wiggler with expertly deployed vocal hooks and Track 3 is a stripped-back bumper with a feel-good vibe.
Andrés – GTFlip313-001 [GTFLIP313-001]
Detroit mainstay and masterful hip hop and deep house fusionist Andres is back with not one but two new EPs. For this first one, he brings some silky electro rhythms to his signature sound but doesn’t forgo that irresistible sense of r&b lushness he is known for. Track 1 brings a heart-aching vocal sample to quick beats and pristine snares, Track 2 has skittish rhythms topped with snapping snares and another classic, well-worked sample, then Track 3 takes off to the cosmos on ice-cold electro rhythms topped with plaintive chords. There is a hint of acid squelchy to Track 4 but it still somehow sounds very much like Andres.
Andrés – Back In The Open [MG-064]
Moods & Grooves welcomes the return of one of Detroit’s best multi-talented producers, Andrés. “Back In The Open” chops up a classic hit along with a few unknowns that will keep the floors moving throughout the night.
Funkadelic – Reworked By Detroiters [SEW3158]
Funkadelic have created an enduring legacy, and the power of their impact is visceral in Detroit. Their records not only played with genre, but possessed a diabolical sense of humour that led to music domination by the late 70s with Parliament, Funkadelic, Parlet, Bootsy’s Rubber Band and the Brides Of Funkenstein all releasing albums the same year for two years in a row. The music itself is beyond stereotype, but equally huge is that they were a black band not allowing themselves to be limited by anyone else’s notions of who they could be, having a massive impact on the next generation of Detroit music, Detroit Techno. But more than just Techno, it is a freedom of thinking that extends beyond boxes, so we included all sorts of today’s generation of Detroit musicians and producers to show the wide range of music that was Funkadelic and how these ideas are still contemporary, they endure and inspire.
Cool Peepl – Free Part. 1 [MG054]
Several years in the making Mike Grant finally completes the second Cool Peepl project. Originally assembled in 2002 for the Puzzlebox Sharevari remixes, Cool Peepl is a collection of Detroit artists coming together for a session. Focusing less on machine based tracks, the group focuses on organic productions. “Free” features former Members of the House vocalist Bill Beaver, longtime percussionist Sundiata O.M. and the multi-talented heavyweight Amp Fiddler. Andres comes with the remix.
Davina, Carlos Nilmmns, Niko Marks – Get By Me [ORN030]
Davina, Carlos Nilmmns, Niko Marks offer a quintessential blend of Detroit house tracks. Comes with a remix from Andres.
Youandewan – Youandewan EP [AUS1463]
Secretsundaze fave Youandewan (AKA producer Ewan Smith) forged his reputation by delivering house and techno cuts that defied easy categorization. Over the years, he’s variously released robust analogue jams, woozy deep house and wonky late night tech-house. There’s plenty of that variety on this first EP for Will Saul’s Aus imprint. The four tracks variously touch on sparse, soul-flecked deepness (“FM Jam”, which is also impressively remixed by the ever reliable Andres), spaced-out acid (the relentless 303s and late night textures of “Tino”), and Mr Fingers-influenced analogue deep house (the excellent “Alright Son”).
VA – Moods & Grooves Volume 3 [MG048]
Part 3 of 5 in the classic series features material previously released (Andres and John Tejada & Arian Leviste) on the M&G CD compilation “Beneath the Surface” but never pressed on vinyl. Also featured are planned but unreleased nuggets from Brad Peterson and Ewan Jansen.
Kenny Dixon Jr. – Moodymann [KDJ044]
New material from Kenny Dixon Jr. aka Moodymann along with two tracks produced by Andres. This long awaited album features twelve songs over 4 sides of vinyl, a poster, all in custom sleeve with the best album artwork since 1979. A journey further into the weird and wonderful world of the Moodymann…Straight from Detroit!
Chris Turner – FlyLOVE [REBLTD001]
Rick Wilhite presents – Vibes New & Rare Music Part F [RH111F]
Remixes from Rick Wilhite’s Vibes compilation on Rush Hour, with Andres & Ricardo Miranda stepping up and delivering.
Andres / Mike Grant – Moods & Grooves Classics Vol.1 [MG046]
The 1st release in a series of reissues from the Moods & Grooves catalogue. Andrés – Out in the Open and Mike Grant – The Struggle of My People (Mr. G’s There’s Hope Mix).
Dez Andres – Culture Shock [AUDI004]
Although he started his career back in the early 2000s and has links with Moodymann’s Mahogani Music label, Andres’ profile has increased of late thanks to a string of brilliant EPs for M1 Sessions and his own La Vida . The time is surely right, then, to drop his first commercially available mix CD. As you’d expect, it’s firmly rooted in soul, effortlessly joining the dots between disco-funk, jazz, slow jams, global beats and summery Latin flavas. Opening with the Universal Robot Band’s impeccable “Dance and Shake Your Tambourine”, Culture Shock sits somewhere between a particularly good radio show and a dancefloor-bating mix-up, making it perfect for home listening. It also includes Gilberto Gil’s disco era samba classic “Toda Menina Baiana”, which is never a bad thing.
Recloose – Andres / Oliverwho Factory Remixes [RH046]
Rush Hour present a new EP including two remixes by Andres and The Oliverwho Factory and a new original track by Recloose. Andres remixes ‘Electric Sunshine’, which originally appeared on the Saturday Night Manifesto EP in 2011, into a laid back and smooth house track for which Dez is so well known. The Oliverwho Factory touches up Magic, which came out earlier this year. Recloose swings back into party mode with his new track, ‘Chamois’.
Andres – Second Time Around EP [LAVIDA002]
Andres’ second EP on his own La Vida label, following up the label debut “New For U. The “Second Time Around EP” features the single “Skate This Way,” a house tune with epic strings guaranteed to bang the dance floor. On the flip is “Second Time Around” and “Hart Plaza” both originally released on KDJ Records, but here we new versions with additional keys courtesy of Detroit’s own Amp Dog Knight.
Dez Andres – Things You Like EP [M1SESN102]
New M1 Sessions featuring the work of DJ Dez, aka Dez Andres, or to most known as simply Andres. Dez blurs genres like no other from hip hop to house and all the dirty funk in between.
Andres – New For U [LAVIDA001]
Andres – Andres III [M028]
Andres delivering his third album for Mahogani Records, featuring 6 tracks, a tasteful mixture of house and gritty, yet soulful downbeat tracks.
The Hipodrome Of Music 