Julius Papp – Healing Force

Coming from a true originator and innovator in the north American house music scene, the unveiling of a new album from Julius Papp is always met with enthusiasm from dance music fans everywhere. From early appearances alongside Mark Farina at the fabled Mushroom Jazz parties, to sought-after singles on the likes of Nervous Records, Kenny Dope’s Dope Wax, King Street, and Yellow Recordings, to the high quality releases on his own NeoDisco Music imprint, Julius Papp has been stirring dance floors for a couple of heady decades. Now his third artist album – the buoyantly titled Healing Force – is ready to drop into appreciative sound systems worldwide, opening a new chapter in Julius’s vibrant recording career.

Healing Force is meant to touch on the many aspects of Julius Papp’s history and musical influences. The album excels at deep house and soulful, vocal house moments as well as in its slices of downtempo, jazz, and disco-influenced flavors. The album even opens with Julius’s declaration of sorts – as the voice in the loungey “All Styles” suggests: “you should absorb all kinds of musical styles.” Other album highlights include the dreamy “Kosmosis” (which presents Julius’s fantastic take on the familiar “E2-E4” riff), the funky ’80s-influenced “Let It Move You”, and the inspiring house track “Just Feel It”. The smooth, soulful vocal house tracks Julius is known for are also here … the Reprise Mix of the lovely “A Thousand Years”, featuring the amazing vocals of Gina Rene, and the Redux of “Primitive Future”, with its spoken verse by Tonee Green, give the DJs and dancers alike something to groove on. Healing Force’s eleven tracks are like a tour through Julius Papp’s record crate, with diverse house, disco, and downtempo vibes pleasantly sharing space, ready to warm up the speakers.