Soul II Soul & Ron Trent reimagine a classic with deep house elegance.

In an era where motivation is the ultimate currency, Soul II Soul’s timeless anthem 'A Dream’s A Dream' remains a beacon of inspiration. Originally penned by Jazzie B in 1990, the track continues to echo the spirit of a movement that reshaped sound system culture—with a dream to become the biggest sound in the world. Soul II Soul continues to welcome all into a world where dreams become reality.

Now, 30 years later, this seminal record receives a transcendent rework from none other than deep house visionary Ron Trent. Infused with his signature Chicago-rooted sound, the remix breathes new life into the classic, effortlessly bridging eras with its organic yet electronic finesse. Fresh off winning Best DJ Set of 2024, Ron Trent proves once again why he remains a driving force in dance music, seamlessly blending deep, soulful vibrations with his unparalleled production prowess.

Set for an exclusive vinyl release on Funki Dred Records, this highly anticipated remix lands after of the long-awaited Soul II Soul Live album, continuing a sonic journey that transcends generations.

From sound system roots to the deep house underground, 'A Dream’s A Dream' continues to evolve, proving that true musicality is forever.

TRACK LISTING

1.  A Dream’s A Dream (Ron Trent Refix)
2.  A Dream’s A Dream (Ron Trent Dub)

After five years spent largely confined to the United States, Ron Trent is set to return to global touring in 2025. To mark the occasion, he’s partnered with Rush Hour to release Lift Off, a brand-new album of music recorded at different points over the last decade.

Arriving almost 35 years since he wowed the world with his game-changing debut, the Afterlife EP, Lift Off was inspired by Trent’s desire to ‘let the imagination speak for itself’ while exploring the diverse influences that have shaped his unique musical perspective. A departure from his previous album, 2022’s downtempo masterpiece as Warm, What Do The Stars Say To You, the 10-track set features a mixture of epic instrumentals, inspired collaborations and vocal cuts whose music was written with certain singers in mind.

While it features music that ripples with the experienced producer’s familiar aural trademarks – rich rhythms, warm chords, impeccable instrumentation, inspired arrangements, and lashings of heady hand percussion – it also consciously explores a variety of sounds and tempos, in the process blurring the lines between dance music’s past, present and future. It’s a vision, in his words, of what dance music can become.

For proof, check the five impeccable cuts on part one. There’s the tactile, Wally Badarou-inspired wonder ‘Hot Ice’, the mind-soothing chords, lilting synth-strings and samba-soaked percussion of ‘Woman of Color’, the warming deep house jazziness of ‘Jazz Funk’ and the restless, far-sighted brilliance of ‘Sexstrology’, where relaxed electric piano solos dance atop an infectious, locked-in dancefloor groove.

Best of all though is Leroy Burgess collaboration ‘Let Me See You Shining’ – an inspired musical meeting of minds that cannily fuses Trent’s signature deep house sound with the soulful, vocal-driven brilliance of the New Yorker’s iconic boogie-era work. Even by the two artists’ dizzyingly high standards, it’s a very special song.

TRACK LISTING

Hot Ice
Jazz-funk
Woman Of Color
Sexstrology
Let Me See You Shining Feat. Leroy Burgess

After five years spent largely confined to the United States, Ron Trent is set to return to global touring in 2025. To mark the occasion, he’s partnered with Rush Hour to release "Lift Off", a brand-new album of music recorded at different points over the last decade.

Arriving almost 35 years since he wowed the world with his game-changing debut, the "Afterlife EP", "Lift Off" was inspired by Trent’s desire to ‘let the imagination speak for itself’ while exploring the diverse influences that have shaped his unique musical perspective. A departure from his previous album, 2022’s downtempo masterpiece as Warm, "What Do The Stars Say To You", the 10-track set features a mixture of epic instrumentals, inspired collaborations and vocal cuts whose music was written with certain singers in mind.

While it features music that ripples with the experienced producer’s familiar aural trademarks – rich rhythms, warm chords, impeccable instrumentation, inspired arrangements, and lashings of heady hand percussion – it also consciously explores a variety of sounds and tempos, in the process blurring the lines between the past, present, and future. It’s a vision, in his words, of what dance music can become.

For proof, check the five tremendous tracks on part two. There’s the AM radio-ready warmth, guitar-flecked looseness, and eyes-closed bliss of "Just Another Love Song", where Trent’s own multi-tracked vocals catch the ear, the slow-motion, head-nodding deep space bliss of "Juice" and alternative Balearic love song "And Fly Away".

Part two of the vinyl edition also includes two superb collaborations. Fellow Rush Hour artist Lars Bartkuhn lends his virtuoso guitar skills to "Street Wave", a future house classic laden with nods to jazz-funk and fusion, while regular collaborator Harry Dennis (best known for his work as part of early Chicago house outfit Jungle Wonz) adds a poetic and emotion-filled spoken word vocal to the equally inspired "Her".

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Seemingly aging like a fine wine; Ron Trent's new project is nothing short of stunning. Expansive, sprawling, carefully plotted dreamscapes; deep soulful dancefloor business, and kaleidoscoping beatdown jams brimming with natural, effortless musicality.

TRACK LISTING

Just Another Love Song
Juice
And Fly Away
Street Wave Feat. Lars Bartkuhn
Her

After five years spent largely confined to the United States, Ron Trent is set to return to global touring in 2025. To mark the occasion, he’s partnered with Rush Hour to release "Lift Off", a brand-new album of music recorded at different points over the last decade.

Arriving almost 35 years since he wowed the world with his game-changing debut, the "Afterlife EP", "Lift Off" was inspired by Trent’s desire to ‘let the imagination speak for itself’ while exploring the diverse influences that have shaped his unique musical perspective. A departure from his previous album, 2022’s downtempo masterpiece as Warm, "What Do The Stars Say To You", the 10-track set features a mixture of epic instrumentals, inspired collaborations and vocal cuts whose music was written with certain singers in mind.

While "Lift Off" features music that ripples with Trent’s familiar aural trademarks – rich rhythms, warm chords, impeccable instrumentation, inspired arrangements, and lashings of heady hand percussion – it sees the long-serving producer explore a variety of sounds and tempos, in the process blurring the lines between dance music’s past, present and future. In his words, it’s a vision of what dance music can become, where nods to new wave, alternative and slow jams sit side by side with up-tempo dancefloor workouts rooted in R&B, jazz-funk, house and sunset-dance.

Presented on two double vinyl albums, and a single CD release, "Lift Off" contains some of Trent’s most magical and sonically detailed music to date. For proof, check the lilting synth-strings, enveloping chords, samba-soaked percussion, vibrant electronics, elongated organ solos and starry synths sounds of "Woman of Color", the Wally Badarou-inspired "Hot Ice", the alternative Balearic love song "And Fly Away", and the alternative 80s / New Order-influenced "Just Another Love Song", where his own hazy vocals catch the ear.

From the start of the project, Trent wanted to create music with musical collaborators and hand-picked vocalists in mind. Two regular collaborators make an appearance, with fellow Chicagoan (and Jungle Wonz member) Harry Dennis delivering a delightfully poetic spoken word vocal on the incredible "Her" – a subtly Latin-tinged epic that’s amongst Trent’s most picture-perfect concoctions to date – and fellow Rush Hour artist Lars Bartkuhn adding virtuoso jazz guitar solos to the equally inspired "Street Wave".

Perhaps more headline-grabbing is the inclusion of legendary disco-boogie vocalist, producer and arranger Leroy Burgess, who accepted Trent’s invitation to write and perform vocals on an instrumental he’d written with him in mind, "Let Me See You Shining". Combining Trent’s usual spacey synths, rolling grooves and ultra-deep musical sensibilities with nods to his guest singer’s synth-heavy boogie and proto-house works of the early to mid 1980s, the track features a typically expressive and soulful lead vocal from the New York great – a genuine musical meeting of minds that’s worth the admission price on its own.

Effortlessly soulful, atmospheric, musically on-point and bursting with vivid aural colours, it offers a neat summary of the sonic delights littered throughout "Lift Off" – a killer collection of sophisticated and forward-thinking music for the head, heart and feet.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Seemingly aging like a fine wine; Ron Trent's new project is nothing short of stunning. Expansive, sprawling, carefully plotted dreamscapes; deep soulful dancefloor business, and kaleidoscoping beatdown jams brimming with natural, effortless musicality.

TRACK LISTING

Hot Ice
Jazz-funk
Woman Of Color
Sexstrology
Let Me See You Shining
Just Another Love Song
Juice
And Fly Away
Street Wave
Her

LA-based band ASHRR picked up plenty of new fans with their recent Sunshine Low album and now they're back with the sixth single from it and it comes with some seriously heavyweight names on the remix. Chicago house pioneer Ron Trent does his thing to 'Please Don't Stop The Rain' by going super deep, spine tingling and heady with some lush arps and distant guitar twangs adding a Balearic feel. Dub treatments come from the Prescription boss himself, while ASHRR's alter ego, ASHRR Soundsystem, offer up an instrumental and a remix that lay down dubby house drums and lush chord work. This one keeps the summer vibes going well into winter.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Please Don’t Stop The Rain (Ron Trent Remix)
2. Please Don’t Stop The Rain (Ron Trent Dub)

Side 2
1. Please Don’t Stop The Rain (ASHRR Soundsystem Instrumental)
2. Please Don’t Stop The Rain (ASHRR Soundsystem Remix)

In 1990 Ronald Lee Trent Jr. was the teenage creator of Altered States – a raw, futuristic techno-not-techno anthem, which in retrospect was something of a stylistic anomaly for the young artist. Across subsequent years, with time spent in Chicago, New York and Detroit, came the development of his signature sound, and renown as a world class purveyor of deep, soul infused house/garage. This story has already been told, and on casual inspection, the well-worn platitude ‘house music legend’ is an old shoe that still fits. However, in fact, he’s actually so much more, and has been for quite a while. A genuine musician, songwriter, and ‘producer’ in the proper, old-school sense, the artist today has more in common with Quincy Jones than he does your average journeyman DJ track-hack.

To those in the know, these broader skills haven’t gone unnoticed, which is why on the highly collaborative, career-topping new LP ‘What Do The Stars Say To You’, it took little persuasion to recruit serious star power. Brazilian royalty Ivan Conti and Alex Malheriros from Azymuth, violin maestro Jean Luc Ponty, ambient hero Gigi Masin, hype band Khruangbin and more performed, whilst NY cornerstone François K provided mastering duties. At various points Ron himself played drums, percussion, keys, synths, piano, guitar and electronics.

Harking back to the 70s and 80s boom in adventurous, luxurious albums, WDTSSTY is a love letter to the longplayer, where rich musicality and a liquid smooth, silky flow make seemingly odd genre bedfellows acquiesce harmoniously. Each song its own high-fidelity odyssey, Trent incorporated a broad range of live instruments and electronics into a sophisticated, euphonic whole. Described by him as being “designed for harmonising with spirit, urban life and nature”, this is aural soul food, gently easing you into balmy nights, where everything is alright.

Originally wanting to be an architect, Trent’s views his approach to collaboration and music in general as having the same principles. A firm believer in the nourishing qualities of sound, he sees direct parallels between the two disciplines, being as the purpose of good architecture is to improve quality of life. “With WARM, through sound design, I built frameworks for the musicians, who furnished and occupied these struc tures beautifully, which was a big compliment for me”, he comments.

The conditions required for a good collab are more than simply structural though, as Trent expounds, “I’m a huge fan of everyone on the record, especially Jean Luc and Azymuth, who’re part of my DNA. Each track was made with that guest in mind – for example, when I started writing ‘Sphere’, I immediately thought ‘this IS Ponty’. I played the keys in his style, and did a guide violin solo using a synth, which he then redid, amazingly. ‘Cool Water’ is based around Azymuth themes, so when I sent it to Ivan, he could immediately see himself in the piece; He got what I was going for straight away. For ‘Melt Into You’ I hit up Alex on Instagram, sent him the track, he liked it, and within 24 hours he’d sent back six different bass passes!”

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: The deep house legend’s downbeat and highly musical offering features a wealth of collaborators and sees him mature like good whiskey – full of flavour and depth.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Cool Water Feat. Ivan Conti (Azymuth) And Lars Bartkuhn
A2. Cycle Of Many
A3. Admira Feat. Gigi Masin
A4. Flowers Feat. Venecia
A5. Melt Into You Feat. Alex Malheiros (Azymuth)
B1. Flos Potentia (Sugar, Cotton, Tabacco) Feat. Khruangbin
B2. Sphere Feat. Jean-Luc Ponty
B3. WARM
B4. On My Way Home
B5. What Do The Stars Say To You