Various Artists: Repopulate Stars – Summer Jams [Repopulate Mars]
Repopulate Mars’ annual Summer Jams compilation returns for 2020 with fresh cuts from the likes of Yolanda Be Cool, Tough Love and Chris Larsen.
Lee Foss’ imprint delivers 12 tracks from existing label artists like John Summit and Chris Larsen while welcoming the likes of Kristi Yang, Bedran, Rone White and ODCEE. As always with Repopulate Mars, bumping peak time house is the order of the day and the package provides enough ammunition for a summer’s worth of dancing.
From the maximal, bass-heavy and rave-infused opener, ‘In Your Arms’, from Australian duo Yolando Be Cool to the slick, paired-back roller ’Now You Know’ from Miami’s DOONS, each track here has earned its place. Vocals, hooks and melodies are as prevalent on Summer Jams as rock solid grooves, too. London’s Tough Love, John Summit & Dead Space, Andre Salmon & Eurostep, Kristi Yang and Alvaro Smart all provide anthemic and all-to-rare vocal heavy tracks which leap out of the speakers while relative newcomers BEDRAN and Rone White & Rowen Clark both toy with spoken vocal samples to great effect. The heavier cuts on Summer Jams, like Piem’s thundering ‘Absolutely’ and ODCEE’s ‘Fila’ provide trackier vibes for heads-down moments but, as usual for Repopulate Mars, do so without sacrificing any identity.
Repopulate Mars has been continually redefining what peak time house is since its inception in 2016 and its Summer Jams release for 2020 neatly encapsulates what the label is all about.
