SUMJTTotD: SHAKE - East Coast Love Affair
If you've heard any of my recent sets, you know I always find a slot for one of my fav releases in the last few months, "Don't Be Afraid" by East Coast Love Affair. East Coast Love Affair do more than just re-edits or reworks, they dive deep into rarified disco and funk oceans to unearth otherworldly treasures for you to shake your rump to. And this week's Track of the Day, Shake, is no different.
East Coast Love Affair was founded by Nick "Linkwood" Moore and Euan Fryer(AotN founder) with the idea of making it the "Athens of the North house band." They've recently released a slew of singles like Date With The Rain (a soulful cover version of Eddie Kendricks' favourite Date With The Rain), Without You, and (my fav) Don't Be Afraid. Every release to date have been rich in leisurely but ear-catching drum machine patters, warming bass and sparkling synth sounds, always simply sublime.
The B-side Shake party mode with their fourth EP, Confrontations. The A-side and title track Confrontations is a delightful rebuild of a rare disco funk 45 by Homegrown Syndrome - but on the flipside is where, IMHO, the party is at. This 8-minute track goes deeper but still has mucho dance floor appeal.
I love how Shake's tropical persuasive vibes and whirring electronics simply demand you move without being overly produced with beat trickery. A fellow fan of the track said she thought vocals reminded her of the Moby classic Go!
I simply dig the track as it is hefty and on-the-money dancefloor banger that, for DJs, is rare as you like, but immediately accessible and high impact. Do yourself a favor and snag the 12" while you can.
TRACK: Shake
ALBUM: Confrontations
ARTIST: East Coast Love Affair
LABEL: Athens of the North
RELEASE: June 21, 2021