Dig These Discs :: Tony Moran, Sade, iio, Hed Kandi

Noize Magazine gives you the skinny on four hot new releases!

Mix Magic Music / Tony Moran

Yep, it's true, after what felt like the longest drought ever, we finally get served a proper superstar DJ mix album - and it doubles as an artist album to boot: Tony produced every track, all the while maintaining variety with different featured vocalists and collaborators, including Judy Torres, Zhana Saunders, Frenchie Davis, Ultra Nate and Deborah Cox. Very much the companion to, and logical next step following, his 2008 release The Event, Mix Magic Music combines his expertise in what makes the dance floor move, a clear pop sensibility and a new direction away from the tribal of the last few years toward progressive House. Not to be missed, especially standouts "Can I Love You More" with Trey Lorenz, "Magic" with Jennifer Holliday, and "Sensation" with Orion.

The Ultimate Collection / Sade

Sade is one of those artists whose musical expression is one of such beauty that it's become as synonymous with sensuality and lovemaking as rose petals and satin sheets. Despite her melancholic delivery and her focus on loves lost, her voice sounds so sexy that you can't help wanting to get naked while listening. The Ultimate Collection is the next chapter of Sade's hits, following The Best Of from 1994, while adding in the hits from Lovers Rock and Soldier of Love. It includ es four new songs, one of them a new remix of "The Moon and The Sky" featuring Jay-Z. The second single off the album, "Love Is Found" has been released with remixes by Gareth Wyn and Alex Metric. Also look for some recently surfacing bootleg remix albums titled Think Sade and Think Sade 2.

Exit 110 / iio

The follow-up album six years in the making, Exit 110 is the continuation of iiO's debut album Poetica, comprised of songs recorded during the original sessions for the first album and before Nadia Ali's professional separation from Markus Moser to focus on her solo career. All the charm of iiO is here, with elements of '80s synth pop, unique melodies and Nadia's endlessly lovable words and vocals. The stark contrast was present on Poetica and is even more noticeable on Exit 110: One of iiO's bigger hallmarks is their ability to sound completely different from everyone else out there and not come across as remotely self-conscious. Between Moser's penchant for nostalgic production elements and Ali's melancholic and Eastern-influenced delivery of autobiographical lyrics, iiO has always stood out as one of the most personal dance music groups.

Beach House 2011 / Hed Kandi

Last year Beach House 2010 was nominated for Best Compilation at the International Dance Music Awards, and ended up being Hed Kandi's biggest-selling title. So all eyes were on this year's installment to see if they could top it. In a series that has, at certain points over the last few years, become more of a brand than a collection of individual and standout tracks, 2011's chapter of Beach House holds up to the original installments championed by Hed Kandi founder Mark Doyle. A blend of new tracks in the trademark "sundrenched" deep, beachy House sound and fresh remixes of classics, BH 2011 is guaranteed to brighten any pool party or day at the beach. The CD release is in a traditional triple-disc, unmixed format; the digital release also includes all three discs as continuous mixed sets.