cesar merveille & mirko loko: vagabundos 2013

Cadenza selects the cream of their crop to represent the second Vagabundos mix compilation for 2013, with Cesar Merveille and Mirko Loko going head-to-head on this real connoisseur's collection. Merveille's mix begins with a real nugget from label boss Luciano, and his remix of Tim Wright's "Thirst," plowing right into a deep and distinctly underground house sound, with raw productions from the likes of Daze Maxim, Rob Mello's remix of Losoul, and Roustam. Merveille's own mix of Afriqua provides a turning point on the mix, ushering in a psychedelic and melodious passage, magnified with the superb Ricardo Villalobos remix of Envoy. Tracks from Delano Smith, Ultrasone, and Merveille & Crosson wrap up a consistent yet varied selection of music from Merveille that sets the perfect tone for the continuing disc. Mirko Loko has been one of Cadenza's figureheads over the years, with his style leaning towards the otherworldly vibes of the Detroit pioneers, and his Vagabundos mix definitely reflects this love of melancholic electronic sounds. Eduardo De La Calle's minimal and tweaky opener sets the course for a playful delivery of fine tracks from Matthew Dear, Roy Ayers (the terrifically tribal Âme remix of "Tarzan") and the old skool Chicago flavor of Tevo Howard. Mirko also airs an exclusive cut from the compilation's other selector; Cesar Merveille's "DEA," exemplifying the term hypnotic perfectly. Mirko digs deep to revive the Anada Project's stone-cold classic "Cascades of Colour" (the Danny Tenaglia edit here of the Rui Da Silva/Saffron Remix), keeping the late night vibe with offerings from Pig & Dan, Carl Craig's remix of Mirko's own "Love Harmonic," and throwing in a double whammy of original Chi-town grooves from Master C&J and Virgo, finishing on the gorgeous melodies of Chateau Flight. Cesar and Mirko take us on a deep journey, all the while delivering a solid double disc album of the best contemporary grooves and some forgotten classic from yesteryear.