Mike Maurro passion for producing the best remixes come from his heart for the love of music. A couple of years ago Mike charted in the national chart with his peak Hour remix box set CD set that was released on Harmless Records.
Since then Mike has been releasing limited edition 12 inch records that not only sell out on release but then become collectable.
UK Supergroup Heatwave are the latest band to get the Maurro make over Too Hot to Handle indeed I hear you thinking, but also included is The Groove Line, The Disco Classic Boogie Nights and the lush ballad classic Always And Forever. These 12 inches showcase Maurro's mighty fine work as he utilises some previously unheard studio ad-libs and instrumentation to fantastic effect, these mighty fine extended vinyl releases are to be released on the 29th September through Juno which I'm sure the demand will be massive.
A mighty fine tribute to the maestro songwriter Rod Temperton who we lost last year, lead vocals by Keith Wilder & the late Johnnie Wilder, Jr, produced by Barry Blue.
Mike Maurro is one of the finest remix producers to surface from America, he is up there with the tops. In the beginning we used to get treated to a Mike Maurro mix that surfaced occasionally on Soundcloud for a short time.
Among the early supporters was Ian Dewhirst who followed his progress and eventually did a deal with Mike to released his album through the BBC's label Harmless which is also part of the demon group. The The Mike Maurro Peak Hour Remixes reached #1 on the Amazon chart and even charted nationally in the UK album chart.
Mike is recreating the magic from the multi tracks and striking gold with everyone, making Mike one of the 20th century most exciting remix producers.
For his latest Peak Hour mixes they are numbered 3 and 4 to continue where the album left us (wanting more), but this time they are released on a limited edition run of 12 inch singles. Released on BROOKSIDE 14th October 2016 on 12 inch vinyl only
After watching an awards program back in 2005, Ola Onabule wrote the song, ''Soul Town'' asking why ? has the music we love so much, been removed from all the award ceremony categories... Soul Town by Ola Onabule the remixes will be released on 13th April on DSG Music. Lets get the word out to see if we can't bring Soul Music back to the place we love!
Solar Radio's Gary Spence was telling me last year that he had the most amazing evening at a concert by Ola Onabule. He explained to me that he always sung his anthem, ''Soul Town'' at the end of his set. Ola Onabule name checks some of the greats on his live version. Spence and I talked about the song, we both felt if the song was sped up it could really be an anthem for today's market.
I got in touch with Maria Avgoulis, Onabule's manager who at first was I guess not keen to have one of the masterpiece's changed, the word remix can be very frighting especially if it was to go into a different music genre. I picked some of the best remix / producers that I have worked with and they put there passion, heart and Soul into the project to make, ''Soul Town'' one of the best songs of 2015.BBC radio's John Leech has described the remixes as one of the best ever!
What you been saying...
Ash Selector wrote after hearing just two of the remixes!
Ola Onabule- Soul Town is an Anthem in it's own right. It's been tastefully enhanced with a new set of Mixes bringing it into 2015 with a Bang!The Nigel Lowis Remix is the one for die hard Soul Fans & MIKE Maurro presses all the right buttons for fans of Soulful House. All in all an essential purchase for your collection. What's not to like a great song, excellent vocals & grooves to move you. Recommended Ash Selector (Solar Radio).
A great remix from Ola Onabule. A man who has certainly worked hard and paid his dues in the last couple of decade - Peter Young Jazz FM
Not just the best song of the year, but of the decade. Soul Town 2015 is a huge hit! Gary Spence Solar Radio
One of Brit soul's most enduring tunes is 'Soul Town', the signature song of one of Brit' soul's most enduring artists, OLA ONABULE that was first released in 2005 and the stand out on Ola's fifth long player, it's remained a soul radio staple and a permanent fixture in the singer's live shows. Indeed Ola usually ends his shows with the song and lovers of the tune will be delighted to know that the anthem has just been given a 2015 makeover courtesy of DSG Music and master remix, producers, Nigel Lowis. Colin Watson & Mike Maurro. SoulandJazzandFunk review - Read more here!
The Nigel Lowis remix version's takes the tempo up just a shade so that the beats are perfect for the modern soul scene while the swirling backing track adds a Philly style garnish to proceedings. 'Soul Town 2015' is all set to become one of THE anthems of 2015.
Colin Watson's CW remix enhances the original version with Watson adding his special flair to make his remix very classy indeed.
Mike Maurro who is currently riding high on the album listing with his harmless records released various artist collection '' Peak Hour'' remix box set collection (that even charted in the national UK album chart and reached #1 on the Amazon sales charts) puts a Soulful House stamp on the track with his, Mike's House of Soul remix.
Where you gonna go, now that Soul Town’s gone How you gonna do, What ’has been so undone Once you were hip, right at the tip The very essence of cool Street savvy and fly, Steel in your eye Thought you were nobody’s fool It’s why I wanna know What you gonna say, when they talk it down That at the peak of it’s day , It was nothing, nothing but a plain Jane town You say Soul Town, Is the way it ‘s all meant to be And someday we’ll build it all again, When we’ve had enough of this emptiness Far too much of this loneliness We’ll start afresh, raise it up, and grow When you gonna see, that Soul Towns passed And all those beautiful people you used to know, Well they ain’t so fast You riding high, in infinite skies Just being that was your precious pearl With one dream in your hearts and faith in that dream You thought you’d be changing the world You say Soul Town’s the prettiest place you knew And someday we’ll build it all again, When we’ve had enough of this emptiness Far too much of this loneliness We’ll start afresh, raise it up, and grow Where you gonna go, now that Soul Town’s gone How you gonna do, What ‘s been so undone This! This ain’t nostalgia, This ain’t a love song I’m talking bout Soul Town, because Soul Town’s gone Those crazy clothes you used to wear, flowers in your hair And your peace signs everywhere, way on back in Soul Town Somebody tell me what happened to all those dreams of peace, And understanding and harmony and brotherhood and love, Being together for ever and ever Don’t it seem like Soul Town, Soul Town is gone This! This ain’t a love song This ain’t nostalgia, Thus is a silly game we played with a game we loved Way on back in Soul Soul Soul Town
To be released 25th May Ola Onabule featuring Drizabone
Tom Moulton is the Godfather or The God of the remix, but a new Prince has arrived via, Mike Maurro's forthcoming album on Harmless records. The Mike-Maurro-Peak-Hour-Remixes is a new collection of 21 classic Disco Soul & Funk favorites, remixed with love from the original Multi tracks. The album includes classic by, The Trammps, Detroit Spinners, Ashford & Simpson, Change, Blue Magic, George Duke, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Candi Staton. The collection is already climbing the Amazon sales chart on pre-orders alone!
Mike Maurro, a native New Yorker, was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1973. He lived there for the first seven years of his life before his family made a permanent move to Queens, where his passion for music first surfaced. In 1984, after watching the motion picture “Beat Street”, Mike began following dance music by scanning the top dance hits on New York City radio stations such as 100.3 Z-100, Hot 103.5, 98.7 Kiss FM. It was during these years of intense music study that Mike discovered dj's & producers such as Arthur Baker, John Robie, Afrika Bambaataa, John "Jellybean" Benitez, The Latin Rascals & "Little" Louie Vega who fueled his desire to become a DJ. By 1986 he was ready to start mixing. His DJ career began with a handful of 12" records and 2 mis matched turntables he set out to learn the art of beat mixing. By late 1987 and 1988 He began working mobile jobs such as weddings, birthdays, and block parties with a neighborhood DJ company "All Night Long DJ's"— before he was even old enough to drive.
By 1991, Mike owned his own DJ company "Dj's In Control", but his first real break did not happen until a year later at The Harbor Club in Queens. One night the regular DJ was unable to perform, and Mike (who was working as a bus boy at the time) was called upon to replace him. He began spinning there from time to time, but left the night club in 1993 when he was passed up for a regular position. The next few years were quiet for Mike, who didn’t return to the scene until 1998 when he submitted his mixes to “Brooklyn’s Own” Joe Causi for his WKTU "Studio 54 Clubhouse" show. Causi was impressed at the skill level of the tracks, and placed Mike into rotation with other popular NY area DJ's such as Jenny Costa, Johnny Rocks, Johnny D, Jimmy Yu, Antonio Corrao, Delmar Browne, George Calle, Sally Boy Curto, Louie Mangione and others. Not far after that, Mike began doing a once a week midday mix for 103.5 WKTU, as well as classic dance mixes for 102.7 Mixx FM.
Mike entered the remix world in 2010.......with only a modest desktop computer, a copy of Ableton Live , and a handful of multi tracks downloaded from the internet he began to practice dissecting a song looking for the best combinations of instruments, creating breaks, lengthening intro's etc. After meeting the great Tom Moultonin 2011, he began to understand the true art of the remix.....under the guidance of Tom, Mike began to discover his own style of remixing. And with the tips from other legends in the remix game, Mike has created a signature sound with unconventional methods of mixing. His extra long drumless intro's and acappella endings have been widely accepted and praised by artists, dj's and dancers all over the globe from the US, UK , France, Australia, and Italy. He now owns a powerful Pro Tools based digital studio and is equipped for all types of remix work.
The album is released on January 26th 2015 on download and a deluxe 3 CD box set edition with a very special low price tag, then you might have had to pay for just one of these tracks on 12 inch vinyl.
