PREMIERE : Detroit Rising- Open Letter (EVM128 Broken Remix)

Roy Ayers band Musical Director Mark Adams curated an all star cast of musicians for his recent live album: This Is Neo Soul. Hosted on DownJazz Records, the album showcased the labels bold new chapter in it’s catalogue. This is Neo Soul was a three-year labour of love originally crafted by Adams and a decorated ensemble of musicians who have toured with legends such as Lonnie Liston Smith, Chic, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, Gloria Gaynor and Gil Scott Heron. The record paid homage to the golden era of 70s soul jazz through re worked classics and new compositions, from the strident opener “Sweet Tears” to the deep cut jazz chairs of “Day Dreaming” and the soaring, spiritual uplift of “Expansions.” On ‘Lush Grooves Vol #2’ we are treated to another series of reworks reinterpreted by some of the most respected names in deep house, broken beat, and future soul. This second drop sees more of the live albums’ tracks reborn through the lens of producers who share that same lineage of groove, musicianship, and dancefloor sophistication. This time it features remixes by master producers Kai Alce, the faultless Jimpster, king of the broken beats EVM128, rising Dutch stars Makez, Bruk Rogers, Streeton, plus an interstellar bouncing broken beat rework from Don Surf. Oof! Together these producers reinterpret the album tracks with a modern sensibility while honouring the spiritual jazz soul lineage that inspired the original project. The full remix album drops in the summer and is a continuum of the mission of DownJazz Records, the boutique NYC Detroit imprint founded by David Schwartz, known for its focus on R&B, downtempo, nu jazz, electronica, and forward thinking soul. Following the success of the original album, this new collection pushes the project into clubs, lounges, and global DJ sets while preserving the musicianship and spirit at its core.