Guest Mix: Nice Rec – Boogieman Vol. 3

Nice Rec is a name you should be familiar with by now strictly based on the strength of the first two installments of his Boogieman mix series that have been posted here, each of which contains so many hot joints that it is kind of ridiculous. But now he is now blowing shit up on the production tip as well!

His first appearance on vinyl was a bit earlier this year as part of the East Liberty Quarters project which dropped on my man Curt’s new label Rotating Souls. ELQ is a group consisting of Nice Rec, Buscrates, and Geeman, three Pittsburgh cats who may have started out doing hip-hop but whose love of music has led them in many directions, with boogie funk being the name of the game here. Having heard all these tracks and many more before this release, I was especially pleased to finally be able to have “Tron’d Out” on wax. The melodic bassline hook is the kind of earworm that you find yourself humming hours later, unable to get it out of your head! “Lucky Charm” is another uptempo boogie cut that shows very precise control over each instrument to create melodies and harmonies that really carry the track. In fact, the strength of this record is in the notes played; stylistically, the EP fits in with the 80s R&B and roller boogie instrumentals that we know and love, but it’s the writing that makes each jam stand out after repeated listening.

Word on the street is that ELQ is planning a self-released 7″ to follow up on their first EP, the cuts in question are also very sweet. More work with Rotating Souls is also in the pipeline, I’ll leave it to them to disseminate that information. My man Andrew Burger’s label Harmony Society (which also released Buscrates’ debut 7″) also has a solo 7″ by Nice Rec in the works, to be released soon. The A-side, “Not Real” with Shelby Star on vocals, is a SERIOUS soul jam that shows another side of his production and definitely has potential to be a really big tune.

Nice Rec also appears on “Duskshaped”, the A1 track on The First Four EP by Pittsburgh Track Authority (my production crew), out now on Uzuri. I’m not gonna get long-winded talking about my own shit, but the jazzy boogie feel of “Duskshaped” is a cool combination of our style and his.

Now for the mix…

This is another hour-long mix-up of some classic joints and some obscure ones. It’s all about the warm summertime funk; definitely play this loud while driving around with the windows down.

Tracklist:

1. McGee- Now That I Have You
2. L.S. Movement- Move
3. Uku Kuut- I Don’t Have To Cry
4. Blaze (AKA Lakeside)- We Come To Jam
5. L.J. Reynolds- Trust In Me
6. Fatback- Is This The Future?
7. Hill- Delicate Rose
8. Clarence Jackson- Wrap It Up
9. The Whispers- Keep On Lovin Me
10. Change- Don’t Wait Another Night
11. Tom Browne- Mr. Business
12. Simon and McQueen- Let’s Get Into It
13. Slyck- Bush Beat
14. J.T.- I Love Music
15. Starpoint- Wanting You
16. Carol Williams- Can’t Get Away From Your Love
17. Mystic Merlin- Mr. Magician
18. Oliver- Everybody Wants To Be The Boss
19. Fresh Band- Come Back Lover
20. Katie Kissoon- You’re The One
21. Thunderflash- Reach Your High Tonight
22. Scheer Music- Fallin Back In Love
23. Marc Sadane- Baby Won’t Cha

Download the mix here.