Republic marks the start of its sixth year with a powerful and wide-ranging release, one of the label's strongest yet. This time around it's strictly a New York thing, with an up-and-coming producer getting remix support from two veterans - all hailing from Republic's home turf of NYC. Mike Hess, a young DJ and producer from Brooklyn by way of Poland is making his Republic debut and has the deep-house vibe on lock with his brilliant original mix. His lovely strings and innocent keys. hooked with a funky four-to-the-floor kick riding under a dubbed out sexy bass-line is beautiful, hence the title track "Bella". The breakdowns are wicked; it's got the dopest shaker sound of any cut this year; It's as massive as it is melodic. This is one for big speakers. And that's before the jaw-dropping remixes from blood brothers, I-Cue and Odyssey - two of New York's most well-respected DJs and production veterans, with six decades of experience between them. Known for his hip-hop and drum & bass productions on his label Ingenious Music and elsewhere, DJ I-Cue demonstrates a changeup for Republic Music with a broken-beat track. Firmly in the tradition of Hip-Hop, downtempo and funk tracks, Its chunky breaks, wah guitar and soulful vibes would be enough to recommend it; but the soaring strings and gorgeous piano that kick in over the second half from the original make it impossible to ignore for DJs looking for sophisticated chillout or lounge vibes. The EP is topped by DJ Odyssey's tribal-progressive workout, an impressive mix which brings the melodic and melancholy elements of the original to the foreground and adds a tropical feel for an absolutely epic sound. With strings that raise more hairs each time they crescendo and a surprisingly killer broken-beat breakdown that really sticks out, DJ Odyssey truly brings the release full circle, it's got a vibe that doesn't quit! Definitely essential for deep, tropical and progressive DJs, or any jock looking to get hands raised. ...

Mike Hess - Bella (DJ I-Cue's Chill Out Mix)
Republic Music 018
www.republicmusicnyc.com