Audio Soul Project - Hip Shake Heartache

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Audio Soul Project - Hip Shake Heartache

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A prolific producer, remixer and DJ, Chicago resident Mazi Namvar has appeared on over 200 records in 15 years time, creating music mainly as Audio Soul Project and working under a few other pseudonyms. A DJ for 18 years, Mazi has visited clubs like Fabric in London, Crystal in Istanbul, Q in Zürich, Avalon in Los Angeles, Masai in Varna, Level in Bahrain, Red Light in Paris and Simoon in Tokyo. He continually works on remixes; his recent credits include Marc Romboy and Tyree Cooper’s “Lost” on Josh Wink’s Ovum Recordings, Nick and Danny Chatelain’s “Sube Conmigo” on NRK, AlexKid & Chloe’s “Afterblaster” on Brique Rouge, Alexander Maier’s “Sahara Rain” on Mood Music, Cates & dpL's "Through the Weekend" on OM Records, Chaim’s “C Factor” on Missive Recordings, Sandrino & Adryan's "Solar Wind" on Fresh Meat and Nosmo v Kris B & Ben Brown's "La Cocina" which was licensed to Darren Emerson's "Bogotá GU36" DJ mix; the latest in the Global Underground series. Currently most of his original music appears on Fresh Meat Records which he co-owns with partner Nathan Drew Larsen. Other recent productions have appeared on Systematic, Dessous Recordings, Circle Music and SAW Recordings.

Audio Soul Project’s second album Hip Shake Heartache’s (his first in nine years) right on the money when it comes to delivering soulful Chi-town workouts, which is hardly a surprise when you know that Mazi has been releasing and remixing tunes since ’94. The album moves between the areas of disco, deep house, and soulful house, with each track reflecting the original warmth of authentic, analogue Chicago jacking. From the lush glows and powerful keys on the opening track of the album ( the funky Mnemosyne), the album elegantly moves back and forth between the many facets of house music, picking up and fusing elements into 10 very exciting cuts. Tunes such as Shadow Around Them and the rough Asha reflect the original Chicago sound, while the very juicy disco tinged Good Inside and the electro-riddled Never Go Away are proof that Mazi’s skills stretch well beyond that genre only. Oh, and Call Of Grace features The Voice Of Chicago House – Ron Caroll - on vocals, so that’s flawless victory style right there.

Our verdict : Hip Shake Heartache has become a very diverse album that’s deeply rooted in the Chicago house sound but doesn’t shy away from incorporating disco, electro and funk elements. Many a producer would go astray when working on such a project, but Mazi manages to create a wonderful and energetic blend of all that’s good in house music. A lovely album. BnB Review, written by Youri Jozee