Razor-N-Tape’s Family Affair Vol 3 track-by-track with the artists!
Razor-N-Tape bring us their third volume of their annual ‘Family Affair’; a starry compilation that brings together label artists old and new together in time for the festivities.
There’s some super solid deep house from Free Magic & Catamaran, Yuu Udagawa, Montreal’s Gene Tellem, and Ralph Session. Razor-N-Tape Label co-head JKriv brings the funk in a collaboration with NYC’s Saucy Lady & Tortured Soul on red hot jealousy jam ‘Better Than Her’.
Bruce Leroys reworks Guinu’s Brazilian beauty ‘Amanhã’ on a hip house tip, with further Latin flavours from Prince of Queens. 90s street soul echoes in Kim Ann’s ‘In The Stars’, while Family Affair regular Misiu goes gospel raising heads and arms in this heartwarming soulful belter.
New Zealand’s Flamingo Pier’s ‘Wrapped in Nothing’ provides more warmth and joy, while Atilla Ural & The Flair’s deep house beauty ‘Young Gem’ will lift dancefloors if dropped at just that right moment.
London rising star Cody Currie closes out the album with some broken beat brilliance entitled ‘Ghost’, but my Christmas pick of the pack is LA’s Cor.ece and his ‘Possibly Impossibly’ which gets a reboot from Ezel who adds lashings of jazzy house keys and takes this track all the way to the church and then all the way home.
Here we asked some of the Razor-N-Tape extended family to give us a little further insight into their tracks from this bumper pack, plus our editor, Le Visiteur, chips in on a few of his favourite moments from the compilation.
Family Affair Vol 3 Track-By-Track
FREE MAGIC & CATAMARAN / INFO AT
‘Info At’ from Discovery label head Free Magic and Catamaran was written on a damp winter day – we used the Juno to recreate the sound of the ocean maybe just to warm up in our mind. Jim Orso (Holy Ghost! / Floating Points) played live drums and a mean shaker to seal the deal.
YUU UDAGAWA / 2GETHER
Yuu Udagawa drops ‘2gether,’ a slice of Deep House laced with soulful vibes and a smoothness, that features a cool and gradual build-up. Tokyo-based DJ and producer Yuu Udagawa has previously released on Compost and Cyphon Recordings, now joining the Razor-N-Tape family!
“I grew up on a cocktail of everything from Rock, Hip-hop and Latin Jazz to Techno and House”. Yuu’s immersive musical output draws inspiration from this diverse pool of influences.
COR.ECE / POSSIBLY IMPOSSIBLE (EZEL DUB)
Bayacou Records don Ezel re-invents one of Razor-N-Tape’s finest moments Cor-ece’s future classic Possibly Impossible. Giving the track a warm lush live feel courtesy of a delicious bassline and ear candy piano riffs this is a track which we never grow tired of listening to here at LV HQ and this delightful rework will see it back in my DJ sets for the coming year and likely well beyond. Timeless soulful house bliss!
GUINU / AMANHA (BRUCE LEROYS REMIX)
Bruce Leroys has been a real revelation in 2023 with a stream of wonderfully produced and utterly delectable tracks. Here he goes to work on Guinu’s Amanhã and serves up another effervescent house gem. Deft keys, rolling floor-shakin’ kit, a subtle but ass shakin’ bass and that loopy powerhouse vocal all combine perfectly for a hypnotic groover. Guinu and Bruce Leroys are 2 artists I will be very much on the look-out for big things in the upcoming year.
GENE TELLEM / DISTANCE
“I began working on the song while I was visiting my sister in Australia back in 2022. ‘Distance’ emerged from a reflection on a new relationship between the physical and emotional, at a moment when foundational elements of my life had taken different shapes. This track is dedicated to a bond that serves as that essential solid ground we all need”.
JKRIV FT SAUCY LADY & TORUTURED SOUL / BETTER THAN HER
Jkriv says “Saucy and I had a blast cooking up this low-slung boogie number a couple years ago, and it was super fun to bring in my old Tortured Soul bandmate Christian Urich for an extra bit of cheeky seasoning!”.
PRINCE OF QUEENS / MUCHO CORAZON
Prince of Queens drop a straight fire deep hypnotic groover. Shuffling percussion and otherworldly keys take this one straight to 5am for an ethereal sunrise moment.
KIM ANH / IN THE STARS
“‘In The Stars’ is about our universal connection to one another. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where we end up and why. It’s not by coincidence but rather destiny…”
MISIU / DOCTOR’S ORDERS
“So this track was originally inspired by a video clip of the Queen of Soul (Aretha obviously!) doing her thing live in Stockholm in 1968. After chopping up a few piano phrases and vocal snippets I laid the beat on it, programmed a live-style bassline and the jam started coming together. After making it onto the first 2 Family Affair albums I wanted to try and get the hat trick so sent a demo over to Aaron and JKriv. After a bit more tweaking the final recipe came together when J re-played the live bassline, adding some very special spice to the cocktail. As ever, it’s a treat and an honour to make the final cut of the album and I hope the track can bring some feelgood vibes to a dancefloor near you!”.
FLAMINGO PIER / WRAPPED IN NOTHING
“This is our love letter to classic French house with a kiwi twist. The native birdsong was recorded in our backyard in Auckland, New Zealand. This track is a hopeful reminder of good times past and the knowledge that many more are still to come…Razor-N-Tape is a label that FP hugely admire. To be included as part of their Family Affair Vol. 3 is an absolute thrill!”
RALPH SESSION / BROOKLYN DISCO
“I wanted to make a song that combined what I love about the New York House Sound. A funky Deep House tune that had some Disco grit to it, hence the bass line. But also, with a little soulful/musical side to it. The fact that it is signed to one of my favorite labels Razor-N-Tape, was icing on the cake and the perfect home for it too! “
ATILLA URAL & THE FLAIR / YOUNG GEM
Atilla Ural and The Flair started producing together after The Flair joined Atilla on stage, improvising at a live show together. ‘Young Gem’ is a product of their live performance, incorporating jazzy motifs played on synths and drum machines, creating a deep dancefloor groove. The track seamlessly blends Detroit House with soulful melodies, showcasing a unique fusion of genres that reflects both artists’ diverse musical backgrounds. This collaboration not only highlights their individual talents, but also their chemistry as a duo, resulting in a sound that’s fresh, dynamic, and truly captivating.
CODY CURRIE / GHOST
Cody Currie has become a real scene head over the last couple of years with his jazz laced house offerings and here is back with a trademark broken beat shuffler in the shape of Ghost. As we have come to expect from Cody the production is wonderfully warm and encapsulates everything great about his distinct style.
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