Local Album Review: petFood Presents The Disco EP

​Various Artists
The Disco EP
petFood

petFood was formed in 2008 by native Miamian DJ/producers Lazaro Casanova and Jay-You as a launching pad for their Afro-Cuban-infused brand of EDM, and their latest release is especially redolent of that unabashed tropical flavor. The Disco EP features a cheery quartet of sample-heavy Latin disco-house bangers and rare groove re-edits by Lazaro Casanova, Rey Aguilar, and the debut releases of producers Radiant Baby and Panther Hands, making for a perfect dance soundtrack to springtime in Miami.

Casanova's "Oh, Yes, Wow" is carried by the local's idiosyncratic sexed-up tropical house rhythms and an insistent salsa piano riff which is bouncy enough to induce some serious dancefloor action. Radiant Baby's "Everyone" is a choppy re-edit of The African Dream's vintage deep house masterpiece "Make a Living" that works, if for no better reason, because that track is simply a timeless classic that's way overdue a comeback in the clubs.

Panther Hands dug up the old lost Latin soul gem "Young, Gifted and Brown" by crooner Joe Bataan and brought it back to life as an exuberant funky house monster driven by clavs and timbales. Standout track "Always Be My Baby" by Aguilar is a compelling filter house number awash in dreamy strings and punctuated by a succulent vocal bite from the Bee Gees' "More Than a Woman". Listen out for The Disco EP which is sure to get plenty of airplay as the temperatures rise in Miami in the weeks to come.