Kiinjo — the new incarnation of superproducer Grandtheft — blessed us at the end of last year with two soulful house numbers “Right Here” & “Lundi” (JLT-018) and now he gears up for a triumphant return: “Make Me Feel”. A permanent fixture in Chromeo, A-Trak and The Brothers Macklovitch DJ sets (they opened with it in Croatia and Ibiza a few weeks ago), this is one of these no-brainer disco tunes that just works, no matter the context. Big room, small venue, at home, air pods…it’s somehow just clubby enough and musical enough. And it’s a proper song too: continuously evolving and switching up around one infectious earworm. Trust us, “Make Me Feel” will be stuck in your playlists and DJ crates for years to come.

Here it is at last: the DIAL TONE EP, entirely written, produced and performed by our golden child, Stevedreez. Five sublime tunes to ease you out of the summer haze and keep you grooving all through the fall. The first single, “CRYSTAL BALL” had an effortless swagger and the second, “GOOD LOVE”, turned the disco vibes up a notch. The full body of work is now helmed by “LIKE THAT”, a dance floor romper with irresistible falsetto vocals and just the right amount of bounce. The EP is rounded out by “FADE” — a moment of sexy chillwave melancholy — and “4U”, a trippy nu-funk send-off. Per Steve, this is a soundtrack “for wherever your intoxicating late nights take you.” We’re sure you’ll also be bumping this for day on end.

The second release from Stevedreez steps up the groove with string stabs and bass pops over a four-on-the-floor thump. If last month’s CRYSTAL BALL gives way to a disco ball, Steve’s irresistible vocals remain the common thread here. It’s this sultry, laid back delivery — with just the right amount of harmonies and earworm melodies — that drew us to him in the first place, and we’re thrilled to slowly unveil this brand new body of work. More to come!

Introducing the first Juliet release by our latest signee: Stevedreez. With an already impressive catalog under his belt, on “CRYSTAL BALL”, Stevedreez is truly on top of his groove game. The songwriting chops are flawless, the vocals are effortlessly smooth, the production, nonchalantly slick, and the overall vibe is that of a breezy summer chune — equal parts yacht, chillwave and early Purple One. Savor this one and stay tuned for more from this prodigious talent.

Kiinjo is the new chapter in the career of production wiz Grandtheft, who’s been in Chromeo’s extended fam for years. Recently delving back into his house and disco roots, he’s been cooking up the most irresistible soulful bangers, which somehow manage to be both club-ready and suited for home listening. Chromeo heard these two Oliver co-productions and decided to put them out on Juliet right away. Remember the bloghaus song “you take me higher than I’ve ever been babyyyyy?” (If not, skip the next few sentences; if so, keep reading.) Well we’ve been chasing that dragon for over a decade and “Right Here” is the first jam to give us the same feeling. Rich, warm, euphoric, singable and danceable, it’s a DJ record that also feels like a SONG. “Lundi” is a little bit smoother; no less infectious, it’s giving George Benson on a bender in Ibiza.

1 Right Here

2 Lundi

Last summer, Paris’ elite funk collective Venice Club released “Freedom” ft. Irfane: a modern Gallic disco manifesto which got DJ support from the likes of The Magician and Claptone all the way to Oliver Heldens and Martin Garrix, along with some surprise daytime radio play. Now they return with “I Believe It”, built around a guitar riff and vocal loop that sound straight out of a 70s yacht record. But it’s in the rhythm section that Venice Club really shines: a bouncy drum groove perfectly locks in with two intertwined funk baselines; throw some percussions on top and you’ve got yourself a party. Not many can pull off disco-house played entirely live, but it’s this meticulous balance of retro and new that makes Venice Club’s music simply…timeless.

In case you forgot, Choices is Oliver and Ryland Blackinton, two super-producers working out of Chromeo’s Private Sector Studios in Burbank, CA. When Oliver isn’t making the biggest hits of 2022 for Nicki Minaj, Latto and Megan Thee Stallion (seriously) and Ryland’s not writing Amazon Original movie scores (seriously), the two come together and concoct the finest in new-disco bangers. Enter “Passenger” or rather, hop on a sonic flight…from LA to Paris, that is. You’re sitting next to Lifelike, Alan Braxe is smoking on board, Fred Falke can’t fit his bass in the overhead compartment and who’s this in first class with the curly afro, one of the robots? Well, one thing’s for certain: Choices are your pilots tonight and from the sound of the slick guitars, the slinky bassline and the snappy drums, this is gonna be one hell a ride.

Who the hell is Venice Club?
That’s the question we’ve been asking ourselves ever since we got an email from our good friend Pedro Winter some weeks ago saying “check this, it needs to come out on Juliet Records.” And here’s what we’ve managed to find out: Venice Club is a mysterious all-star cast of Parisian musicians, producers, songwriters and vocalists. Some you already know — of course you hear Irfane’s unmistakable voice on “Freedom”. Others you may recognize if you listen closely. Some of them played on your favorite records, or with your favorite bands. But all of them share one obsession: the groove. And another thing’s for certain: “Freedom” is the sunny summer banger we all need. A perfect balance of classic French Touch and tasteful live instrumentation, equally suited for the dance floor and the FM dial. So join the Club…and welcome to the French Funk Illuminati.

The newest single from Ian Isiah takes a lyric from his breakout track “N.U.T.S”, stretches it out, modulates it and turns it into a transcendent incantation. It’s an invitation as well — to make room in your life for the people that love you — repeated over as Ian’s band adds layers of crescendos, chops and flourishes. But to truly feel the power of “MSR”, you have to watch the video. Conceptualized by Ian and directed by Nick Harwood, it’s shot on a historic plantation in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. Here, Ian makes room to connect with ancestors, to pay tribute to ancestors. A cinematic declaration, fittingly released at the heart of Black History Month.

He’s Paris’ multicolor wunderkind, a beast on the keys, a natural on the mic and a magnetic presence on stage. It’s no wonder the City of Lights is abuzz about Julien Granel, who collaborates with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac one day and tours across Europe the next. But Julien is also a diligent student of the funk by way of the patrimonial French Touch. He claims that at 13 years-old, hearing DJ Mehdi & Chromeo’s “I Am Somebody” on Ed Banger’s Ed Rec Vol 1 was a formative musical moment. So much so that 15 years later he reached out to the Funklordz to send them music. They decided to release “Dress Code” on the spot: a meticulously composed puzzle of grooves that twits and turns, dipping into boogie, electro and even a few choice jazz chops. A vibrant slice of nu-funk that’s equally compelling with Julien’s crooning (in French, of course) as it is as an extended instrumental with additional production by Julien Galner of the cult synth-specialists Château Marmont.

1 Dress Code (Radio Edit)

2 Dress Code (Extended)

3 Dress Code (Extended Instrumental)

Choices is the supergroup of super-producers Oliver and Ryland Blackinton. Oliver helped shape the sound of contemporary electro-pop music; Ryland helps shape the sound of Oliver’s contemporary music. They work out of Chromeo’s Private Sector Studios in Burbank so it’s only right that we release this double-sided slice of slithering new-disco. “Cybernetic” is sophisticated dance floor frenzy, complete with Oliver’s signature drums and Ryland’s sleek guitar tricks. “Unite” is the moony comedown, the soundtrack to a hazy 6am stroll through a hotel corridor lined with food trays.

1 Cybernetic
2 Unite

The voice. Following his critically lauded AUNTIE gospel-funk opus (and its dancefloor-ready remixes), Ian Isiah returns with his most naked, open and vulnerable work yet. “SEE YOU” sees him flowing over nothing but an acoustic guitar: a minimalistic backdrop that allows his vocals to soar. Last week’s performance of the song on COLORS was nothing short of triumphant. It’s a bit of a stylistic turn for us here at Juliet (and yes the track is still produced by Chromeo), but what else do you expect from Ian? Witness Brooklyn’s pan-gender angel take flight.

This is the first song that Onyx Collective’s bandleader and composer Isaiah Barr brought to Chromeo for production, the first time Chromeo worked on producing another band and the first record that gave Dave and Pee the idea to start this very label. “Tango” is a true slice of jazz-funk, something harkening back to the Brand New Heavies era or New York’s legendary Giant Step parties and yet, because it is written and performed by a crew of vibrant twentysomethings, everything about this record is firmly grounded in downtown NY’s present. Here, the whole ensemble shines: Princess Nokia’s spoken word intro sets the stage for another one of Julian Soto’s superb harmony-laden vocal performances; Isaiah Barr’s horn arrangements and Isaac Sleator’s keys provide the necessary flourishes and all the while, the rhythm section of Austin Williamson and Felix Pastorius effortlessly bops along, like a sunny strut down Canal St.

Our second single from downtown New York’s polymorphous avant-jazz ensemble Onyx Collective is an early Sly/early Funkadelic-inspired psych-soul number called “Hummingbird.” The band had performed it around town for years and brought it to Chromeo for co-production. It took months of studio iterations to properly immortalize it on record. “Hummingbird” is long, dense, deeply melodic and as such, a total oddity in today’s playlist oriented ADD streaming market…which actually means that it’s doing everything right.

At the end of last year, we put out a 3-track synth-jazz odyssey by Montreal’s keyboard virtuoso Anomalie. Featuring Chromeo on vocals and talkbox, this collection of future beats now gets a stellar remix treatment from Stones Throw’s headnod whiz kid Mndsgn, Dutch electro-soul champion Full Crate, and the absolute broken-beat legend Vikter Duplaix. Also included are the winners of Anomalie’s remix contest: newcomers Brain Tan and Quizzo. All three original versions are in this package as well. These head nodders will blow your mind.

1 Bend The Rules (Mndsgn Remix)
2 Bend The Rules (Full Crate Remix)
3 Champ De Mars (Vikter Duplaix Remix)
4 Bend The Rules (Brain Tan Remix)
5 Bend The Rules (Quizzo Remix)
6 Bend The Rules (Mndsgn Remix Instrumental)
7 On My Mind
8 Bend The Rules
9 Champ De Mars

Something brand new from Montreal’s keyboard whiz and jazz virtuoso, featuring Chromeo on every track. Anomalie came to our Burbank studio, we let him use all our gear and added vocals and talkbox. He then worked his production and engineering magic and voilà…vintage synths making future beats.

1 On My Mind
2 Bend The Rules
3 Champ De Mars

In the first single of our remixes program, Ian Isiah’s funk slapper gets a massive disco-house rework from the legend Roger Sanchez, complete with piano stabs and lush string arrangements. DJ Haram flips the track into Terius Nash-style R&B with Middle Eastern percussions on top. DJ Leonce takes it back to the ballroom with some uptempo bounce.

1 Princess Pouty (Roger Sanchez Remix)
2 Princess Pouty (Roger Sanchez Remix) (Radio Edit)
3 Princess Pouty (DJ Haram Remix)
4 Princess Pouty (Leonce Remix)

Here it is in full, our marquee release for 2020. An ode to the auntie’s cultural significance: nurturing figure, moral arbiter, no-nonsense extravagant, a pillar in the Black community. All these personae are incarnated by Ian on this 7 song funk and R&B transmission where drum machines seamlessly mingle with live instrumentation. Meanwhile, his vocals soar: extra sweet, extra hood, just extra. A rhapsodist of the sacred and profane, aiming for pop superstardom. Listed by the New York Times as of of the best albums of 2020.

1 N.U.T.S (N*GG* U THE SH*T)
2 Princess Pouty
3 Can’t Call It
4 Bougie Heart (feat. Onyx Collective)
5 First Love
6 Lady Bug
7 Loose Truth

Ian returns with a dancefloor-ready, feisty funk manifesto, full of sass and pomp. Over a fuzzy bass, synth stabs and Chromeo’s signature talkbox, he eulogizes the bratty attitude of “momma’s baby, daddy’s maybe.” This time, the video finds him in head-to-toe clown attire, roaming around a deserted Coney Island: a Commedia dell’ Arte reimagined, Brooklyn style.

The first Juliet single by New York’s polymorphous avant-jazz ensemble, taken from a forthcoming project co-produced with Chromeo. “Baby” starts off as a sensuous, sinuous love ballad, then transforms into a complex auto-tuned vocal arrangement only to resolve in a three minute free jazz finale. This is downtown kids making music for adults.

1 Baby

2 Baby (Edit)

Recorded and filmed at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, this is Ian’s modern day gospel statement. Says Pitchfork: “‘This is my truth,’ he repeats, elevating the lyric to a mantra, his voice taking on a different flavor at every turn: soul, gospel, funk, R&B. The harmonies are impeccable, like a choir beamed directly into your skull.” The video features essential workers, activists, artists and family members from Ian’s community. In a moving finale, they share their truth directly to the camera.

The debut single by Ian Isiah: the church-trained, pan-gender sex idol from Brooklyn. He’s been at the forefront of New York’s fashion scene for years and has lent his vocal talents to Blood Orange, both on tour and on record. “N.U.T.S (N*GG* U THE SH*T)” is a Chromeo-produced soul-funk number about self-acceptance, with an accompanying visual showcasing Ian in all his grandeur, meandering New York City’s empty streets.