Quantize Vinyl & CDs

Review: Baltimore native Marc Evans is a familiar face (and voice, of course) to those who closely follow soulful house, having enjoyed a long relationship with Spen and his Muthafunkaz project. This second album (his first was with the Muthafunkaz) continues where 2008's The Way You Loved Me left off, delivering a mix of slick, soulful house flavours, upbeat dancefloor anthems and previously released singles. Production and mix duties are handled by a who's who of soulful house - think Spen, Steven Stone, Jamie Lewis and Groove Junkies - while the balance between Philly soul-influenced belters and classic US garage is judged to perfection. It's a classic sound, brilliantly executed.

Review: Singer-songwriter Tracy Hamlin has enjoyed a stop-start career, making her first appearance on a house record way back in 1992, and releasing a single album, Seasons, back in 2005. This sophomore album, with production contributions from the likes of DJ Spen, Tommy Davis, Soulphonix and John Morales, could be her belated big break. With its sinewy soulful house, simmering slow jams and nods to classic boogie (see the impeccable cover of Starpoint's '82 anthem "Bring Your Sweet Lovin' Back"), it delivers warmth and soul from every digitally-encoded second. It also features two versions of her cover of Luther Vandross's "Never Too Much", a Southport favourite which sounds particularly good in its soaring John Morales M+M Mix version.

Review: DJ Spen's Baltimore-based record label has come of age in the last 12 months. Here, he drops the label's first mix compilation with a little help from US garage don Tony Humphries. The New Jersey legend is in fine form on his disc, mixing up contemporary soulful house and US garage cuts from the likes of Barabra Tucker, Dawn Tallman, Mind Street and Ziggy Funk, as well as plenty of remixes from Spen and current production partner Thommy Davis. Spen continues the party on the second disc, dropping a selection dripping with warm synths, cosy electronics and strong vocals. He gets extra points for including Rokaz's saxophone-laden hip-wiggler "Rings of Saturn" and revisited Shaun Escoffery's stone cold classic "Days Like This".

Review: Given the longevity of his career, it's rather surprising that Danny Krivit mix CDs are few and far between. In fact, his last commercial release was way back in 2009, making this collection a must-have for fans of the disco/US garage/soulful house legend. Like the previous installment in the Quintessentials series from Spen and Tony Humphries, this two-disc mix-up sees Krivit delving into the archives of acclaimed US house imprint Quantize Recordings. While rooted in US garage, it's a typically warm, organic and conscious selection, with clear disco, Afrobeat, broken beat and even '80s electro influences helping to create a sassy, sensual, sun-kissed vibe. Throughut, Quintessentials is effortlessly soulful.