The Danceband SUMO (HEYA HIFI)

HOUSE CD: SUMO, The Danceband

Sweden’s SUMO has been putting out seriously deep music since the late 1990s, and this is just their first artist album. It’s been worth the wait, because this record embodies the dance-music/world-music fusion that they represent: soulful, funky melodies mixing classic instruments with fresh electronics, dance-floor beats and organic percussion, crazy concepts and classic techniques that will set your body in motion. Just a few of the album’s many highlights are "Factory," with an old-school Chicago warehouse vibe, "Lovebeat", with an uplifting garage-house style, and "Nini" with it’s tremendous afro-disco energy. Seek out the single for "Nini," which includes Claude Monnet’s massive remix. —MdB