Roy Davis Jr.

Long a bonafide legend in the house world, Chi-town producer Roy Davis Jr. made waves when he brought his progressive golden touch to Toronto label Nice+Smooth back in '04, and his aural blessings continue to rain from the heavens with his second LP release for the imprint. Melding dank electro drones and lush, soulful melodies with acoustic Latin percussion and a few well-placed hip-hop turns, God Life Music proves an infectious combination of uplifting spiritual overtures draped upon a scrumptious stream of dirty, no-nonsense grooves. The warm synths beneath Terry Dexter's vocals on the enveloping "Paradise" push Davis's classic R&B sensibilities to the forefront, while the grimy, futuristic stomp of "I Have A Vision" is pure dance floor assassin business. The producer leaves the straight-ahead behind and heads out on an even more futuristic jaunt for mid-tempo old-school hip-hop nod "Space Muzik" before wrapping things up with the leftfield soul of "Love Is," tying up a record you should surround yourself with a fair amount of open space before listening to.