Nicolas Matar & Willie Graff / Various

Cinco is covered with photos of beautiful people loving each other’s company, and when you hear the music, you start to understand why. New York and North Eastern house at its finest, though not exclusively so, as many of the artists featured are coming out of the West coast (like Kemal and Justin Martin). First track "The Melody” (produced by Francesco Tristano and remixed by Carl Craig) brilliantly opens up the album with a Charlie Brown-style piano air. Louie Vega’s 2008 remix of diva Ultra Naté’s 2001 release "Twisted” shows the staying power of melodies in house music — not only does it bring back a great track that didn’t get enough air on release, it uses a classic sample from 1982’s "The Message.” "Here To Stay” by Soni is a super-fresh song that’s uplifting, invigorating and inspiring. This record shows work by Toronto’s Nick Holder and so many others. This is house music, deep and sweet.