Music: This Week in House Music: Jamie XX, Green Velvet & Kenny Dope

Apr 18, 2022

2 min read

If you've been on the internet, you're probably aware Coachella just returned this past weekend for the first time in three years. If you were there like me, you probably need some energetic, feel-good music to give you the energy to get you through the day…the week, really. Read on for plenty of house tunes to have you bouncing around your house.

Best New Track: "LET'S DO IT AGAIN" Jamie XX (Young, April 12)

Powerhouse British producer Jamie XX is back with another energetic, joyful tune showcasing his ear for perfect sampling. "LET'S DO IT AGAIN" is The XX producer's first original solo release of 2022, and only second since 2015, and celebrates a return to festivals and events. On his Instagram, he wrote that he played this tune at fests last year and added in a press release that he started working on it last year "just as it felt like we might all be able to start doing the things we love again.” You can catch Jamie Sunday at Coachella weekend two, IRL, or on the livestream.

Best New Mix: Green Velvet – Relief Radio April 15, 2022

Chicago legend and tech house OG Green Velvet serves up pure kinetic energy in his latest Relief Radio mix, opening with Mr Joe's "Throne" into the Shermanology remix of LION BABE's and Busta Rhymes' "Harder." The pulsing hour of housey heat also features "NOW" from Catz 'n Dogz and Rebuke's remix of Green Velvet's heater, "Thoughts." His note in the mix description says it all.

"Most of these incredible tunes will not be found in charts. Keep supporting the underground...'YES' you have to dig for these gems that's why it's called underground. Enjoy!"

Best Classic Track: "The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind)," The Bucketheads / Kenny Dope (1995, Henry Street Music)

The full 15-minute(!) version of the Kenny Dope 1995 classic "The Bomb!" opens with a booming voice stating, "The second most popular game we played as children is house!" sampled from none other than Green Velvet's 1993 track "The Preacher Man." The memorable "These sounds fall into my mind" hook is also a sample, from Chicago's 1979 "Street Player." The legendary New York producer released this iconic dance floor groover as part of his disco-sampling The Bucketheads project. It not only whipped (and continues to get) the dance floor into a frenzy, it also hit No. 1 on the Billboard dance charts and No. 2 on the UK Dance Chart, and No. 5 on the UK (all-genre) Singles Chart, also ranking highly across Europe and Australia.