Comments (1) ... Out of the wake of London's successful Club Montepulciano came the rise of Freshly Squeezed, a label founded in 2005 whose sound is centered on electronic and lounge influences, and the influences of any number of alcoholic delights. Freshly Squeezed is a diverse blend of at least five juicy flavors, from funky soul, exotica, and tiki beats, to swing and 80s crass attitude, and coincidentally, that's also the juicy blend you'll find on their superbly titled label sampler "Eclectrik".

1. Dodo "Electric Love"
2. The Lovers "La Degustation"
3. Foxgluv "XXX Files"
4. Product.01 "Hot Trap"
5. Lemon "Batman (Twist!)"
6. The Voodoo Trombone Quartet "The Phantom"
7. The Voodoo Trombone Quartet "Major Taylor - Bicyclist"
8. Lodekka "Yes Mr. B"
9. Lemon "Let's Go! BIKINI (7"
10. Stereo De Luxe "Sexuality In The Eighties"
11. The Pinker Tones "Sonido Total"
12. Trevira Modern "Dakkaragada"

Eclectrik opens with an amazing track from London's multi-instrumentalist, theremin teaser Dodo called "Electric Love". The music takes on a minimal 80s aesthetic, in a very old school Human League style, though the vocals of Ms. Dodo (aka Dodo Kitching) just make this track soar in an altogether disarmingly alluring way.

Dodo is followed by a kitschy French track from The Lovers called "La Degustation". The beats are slow and the vocals are a nice, almost spoken word duet between the male and female vocalists. Perhaps because it's so damn French it's cute and dirty at the same time...and really works well. If that isn't enough for you, Kevin Bacon is in the band! ...seriously, he is...though maybe not the movie actor.

San Francisco's Foxgluv are next (Santa Cruz to be specific), dropping a soul-wise groove called "XXX Files". The luscious female vibes of Lux D'Coda deliver the warm, sultry tones you've come to expect from Foxgluv, while the male vocals (likely DJ Kin) are delivered in a rap style like you'd hear from Sugar Hill Gang. Serious groove.

Product.01 have caught some attention, namely for their cover of Blondie's "Heart Of Glass", but if you've heard any of their songs, you know what "Hot Trap" is bringing; heavy beats, 80s synth styling, squelchy electronics, seductive vocals and a sound that just makes you think all dirty-like.

And just when you think it's getting all serious, it does, as Lemon drop their cover of "Batman (Twist!)". Imagine the classic with a stronger surf rock ethic and way better beats.

Voodoo Trombone Quartet are next with the swung out ska vibe, carrying on the spooky bat theme with a cut called "The Phantom". Take note: This one goes into the Halloween mix this year. It's a double play from the Quartet though, who also deliver a nice mid-tempo, Latin jazz edged, funky breaks-wise song called "Major Taylor - Bicyclist". This one will sit right with fans of All Good Funk Alliance, Thunderball, and Skeewiff.

Lodekka take things into dub territory with "Yes Mr. B", while Lemon return with more funky surf breaks in "Lets Go! BIKINI (7" remix)". Stereo De Luxe bring the mambo house with "Sexuality In The Eighties" ...yeah, that's a lot like 80s mambo house. The Pinker Tones come through with an amazingly hot vocoded Latin house track called "Sonido Total". If it weren't for the fat synth keys, warped out instrumentation, vocoded Latin vocals and relatively laid back beats, I might not like it as much as I do...but since they're all there...what's to complain about? Nothing. Trevira Modern end Eclectrik on an upbeat, epic lounge note that has some really nice tempo downshifts.

There's no question, when it comes to lounge inspired, but not at all lounge confined music, Freshly Squeezed are the top game. On the endorsement front, just consider that Ursula 1000 and Thievery Corporation have been dropping Freshly Squeezed music in their DJ sets for a few years now.

You can't ignore the strong 80s influence throughout many of the songs on Eclectrik, but at the same time, you can't ignore the classic lounge, jazz, bossa, dub, and swing influences either. It's cheeky and it's sexy. There is such a variety of styles at play it seems impossible that they all blend as nicely as they do.

Eclectrik calls for nothing but respect for what everyone at Freshly Squeezed is up to right now.

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