A new addition to the Fluid Funk fold and one to keep a close eye on, up-and-coming South African producer Jamie Jaq belts it out of the park with his hypnotizing debut three-tracker, “The Summer Wind EP”. Tapping in the classic Chicago house storyline and making the most of the heavily jazz-infused, foxy boogie tropes the Chi-town’s come to advocate so brilliantly from the late 70s onward, Jaq runs the gamut from proper laid-back, loungey material onto filtered, chords-heavy hedonism with unquestionable poise. The result is a trio of joints oozing nothing but pure understated ecstasy and silky-smooth audio erotica to boot, from start to finish.

The remix of the Glaswegian expert vibist Ross Couch, boss of Body Rhythm, trades the more diffuse, atmospheric appeal of the original mix of “The Summer Wind” for a full battery of focused floor energy. Relying on a strain of French Touch-esque funkiness, Couch’s revamp takes us on a wild, bouncy ride.
High on catchy, 90s style piano stabs and soulful vox hooks Larry Heard wouldn’t disown, the original mix of “The Summer Wind” propels us into a sun-streaked continuum of sound, languidly moving the cursor between straight out coastal house jack and keyboard-fueled escapology.
Topping things off on a smokey after vibe, “The Jazz Room” is a most lavish mesmeric chugger that’ll submerge you in a captivating pool of slo-dripping vocal echoes, shuffling drum clank and velveteen piano melodies. Elegance and lusciousness rolled into one.