2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Jeremy Underground has slowly made his name as one of the top “crate diggers” in the world of dance music, owing largely to his obsessive knowledge of obscure American and British house —you can hear that in his My Love is Underground releases. That trait is also evident in his newest compilation, Jeremy Underground presents Beauty. On Beauty, the Parisian DJ masterfully arranges hard-to-find and out-of-print relics, ranging from New York disco to soul, jazz, boogie, and Brazilian tropicalia, to build a sexy, hip-swaying set that functions as a thumbnail history of the vital musical moments that have influenced many electronic music producers and DJs.
Beauty opens with Ron Rinaldi’s “Mexican Summer,” a warm, semi-acoustic folk track, and Leila Pinheiro’s “Tudo em Cima,” a mid-tempo bossa nova gem from one of Northern Brazil’s most celebrated singers. The compilation flows seamlessly from style to style, from N C C U’s modern funk track “Superstar” to standouts like the rare New York disco gem “Do Your Own Dance” by Shades of Love, where you can catch a glimpse of the sound that influenced Daft Punk and the early ’90s Parisian house scene. Other stellar additions include Nu-Cleus’ “Needing a Woman,” a heavy soul jam about lost love, and Fein’s jazz-fusion track “Stonedage” featuring Brazilian singer Jane Duboc.
Whether you’re a connoisseur or are new to the ever-expanding world of disco, soul, and boogie, this compilation serves as a breezy introduction. Beauty plays like a Sunday matinee disco party, where you can either wind down from the energy of the previous night, or slow dance on a hot afternoon.
—Amaya Garcia
