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DJ Mike Thompson: The "2010 (Summer) Session" CD (SUDJ002) On Soul Unsigned

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This album can be played in your car or while relaxing or in a nightclub or at a wedding!! You can sing simple words of meaning and is not aggressive. All of the artists play instruments and sing and can perform live and this was important to me. Knowing that this is only a promo the idea is also to encourage artists to push themselves and in time someone will listen. As a DJ this is exactly what I need as our kings and Queens of soul are shipping out at a great rate and we as a music are not doing enough to encourage the sons and daughters who want to make soul music. The market drives them down a road of house based beats or laid back 'real soul' which has a limited market who will eventually die off as well. When I play music I see people feeling good when they hear something new that does not ask them to think… just to dance!

The main focus of the album was to show that in the same way as 30 years ago you would have an album with The Whispers, Sylvester, Dayton, Colonel Abrams and Al Green, all different but clearly all soul, that this type of music is still out there and just needs to be reconnected to the masses of people who still love soul music but believe it ended when they stopped going out. Yet every wedding or function they go to soul music is still the basis for the dance.

I encourage any artists that have material that they would like to promote to drop me a line or let me hear what they are doing no matter how you may feel it may be perceived as you are the lifeblood that will keep soul music alive and I listen to EVERYTHING!!

Blessings, Mike Thompson

Reviews

Review by Gabriel Rich for Soulinterviews.com

DJ Mike Thompson certainly had an idea in mind when he took over the Soul Unsigned series. Whereas most soul compilations are nothing more than a combination of Hip Hop-influenced neo-soul and smooth jazz, Mike Thompson's Soul Unsigned 2010 Summer Session CD is more about what soul music used to be; music that makes you dance through feeling. With an impressive list of soul artist from both the United States and Europe, 2010 Summer Session takes a step back in time to bring you into the present.

Something of a music prodigy himself, Mike Thompson started spinning records at venues at an age when most people are still learning how to properly use stereo equipment. By age 14, Thompson was a wunderkind, and on well on his way to making a huge impact in the music world as a DJ. Soul and disco were the music mainstays for Thompson, and clearly he's keeping it alive with this album. The songs all take you back to a time when feeling good through rhythm was the thing, and on cuts like "Barcelona Boogie" and "Boogie", you can find exactly that, which is a rarity in today's world of head-bobbing neosoul. By taking you back, Thompson's compilation moves you forward in a music package that's full of tight instrumentation accompanied by excellent singing. "This album represents the way that I dj and have played for over 35 years," Thompson says. "The music content to me is the same as would and should have been contained in any soul music compilation over the last 30 years."

Speaking as one who regularly bought soul music compilations 30 years ago, the goal of those various artists albums or cassettes was to make you move and groove. 2010 Summer Sessions picks up where those compilations left off. Granted, this project isn't anywhere near the caliber of the compilations of the past, but it's a step in the right direction, and more importantly, Thompson understands the unsigned artists are making better music overall than those in the mainstream, and 2010 Summer Sessions is proof. "All of the artists play instruments and sing and can perform live and this was important to me," Thompson says. "Knowing that this is only a promo, the idea is to encourage to push themselves and in time, someone will listen."

While the sequencing order of songs might be off a bit, there are some righteous groove tracks on the compilation. And with Thompson featuring such artists as Uptown Funk Empire, Levo, Cool Million, Judderbass, FLOetic Laura, and Maiko Watson, the album gives listeners in the US a chance to check out performers they might not know otherwise. Overall, the compilation doesn't stray from its roots, and Thompson wouldn't have it any other way. "The main focus of the album was to show that in the same way that you would have an album with the Whispers, Sylvester, Dayton, Colonel Abrams and Al Green, all different, but clearly all soul, that this type of music is still out there and just needs to be reconnected to the masses of people who still love soul music but believe it ended when they stopped going out," Thompson says. "Yet every wedding or function they go to, Soul music is still the basis for dancing."

2010 Summer Sessions gives you a bit of everything from the past, neatly put together in today's music style. All of the songs are note-worthy, and for your money, this compilation is certainly one that should be a must-have for those who like to groove.

Rating: 7/10

Review by Dazling Soul

Wow what an album!

It looks like 2010 is going to be the year of the compilation and this one is going to take some beating! Compiled by Mike Thompson - a real DJ! - this album completely captures the vibe of all that I'm trying to do with the Dazlingsoul shows - Cool, vibrant and mainly up-tempo Soulful music! - So if you enjoy the new music on my shows you'll love this! Please go out and buy a copy and prove to record companies and radio stations that people do want Soul with an edge!

Highlights include: Leyo - Barcelona boogie, Duane Williams - Yes my love is real, Cornell Stone - Fairy tale, Judderbass - Everybody knows (MT remix) & Floetic - Under love.
****

This is the second in Soul Unsigned's DJ series and the picker this time around is Mike Thompson. Thompson was a member of 80s band, Savanna, but since its demise he's earned a worldwide reputation as a cutting edge DJ. So, a different selecter, but the feel and thrust of the 14 tracker is more than similar to the Unsigned set put together by DJ Ginger Tony ('Jump Start'). Indeed like all Soul Unsigned product (the core series and the Contemporary Soul Songbook sets) the music here covers all of modern soul's various bases and pulls the music from all over the place.

Amongst Thompson's selections are cuts originating from Holland, France, Canada, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, the USA and the putative capital of the Universe - Liverpool. The Scouse track is actually one of the strongest on the album ... it's Judderbass' 'Everybody Knows' featuring the fab vocals of Joanna Brown. .. and you might well say, 'Hasn't that been on a Soul Unsigned set before?'. The answer is a kind of yes. The original version featured on 'Soul Unsigned Volume 2' but it was such a standout that Thompson has used it again - but remixed and re-tweaked it himself, proving there's more to the man than just popping discs onto a turntable. The result is a lovely crisp modern soul dancer with just a hint of soulful house about it.

And there's a lot more of the same almost housey dancers on the album. .. Leyo's 'Barcelona Boogie', Kwality Kontrols' 'Don't Stop' , DJ Dealer's Cool Lovin' and FLOetic Lara's 'Under Love' for starters... though to blur the picture there's an almost Jill Scott flavour to the vocal on that last one. Variety? Well Marilyn Ashford Brown's 'The Jesus In Me' goes into genuine soulful diva territory while the dramatic 'Boogie' from Uptown Funk Empire comes on like a cross between Brass Construction and Giorgio Moroder! Modern room dancers get the opportunity to enjoy Cool Million's 'Back For More' one more time... still loving that Eugene Wilde vocal, rivalled on this set by two other absolute corking vocal performances. First there's the lilting 'Fairy Tale' from the hugely under-exposed Cornell Stone, then the totally magnificent 'Yes, My Love Is Real' from Duane Williams.

If you need reminding why you got into soul music in the first place try this timeless piece of magic. Lovely stuff and the cherry on another excellent Soul Unsigned collection.
(BB) 4/5

Review on BluesandSouls Words by Emrys Baird

Soul Unsigned - The 2010 (Summer) Session compiler Mike Thompson has established himself as one of Europe's top soul and disco DJs over the last 37 years. His career got a break when he was invited to play Disco in a North London Ice Rink aged 11, the first event of its kind in London.

So this man knows his soul and has the credentials to back it up too! 'Barcelona Boogie' makes all the right noises, retro disco drums a two chord see-saw that draws you in and a lovely little synth solo reminds me of early Hi Tension...yesterdays sounds for today! Uptown Funk Empire, germany's greatest carry on the disco with a classic track and the talk box effect works a treat on this floor filler. The mood changes by the time Duane Williams unleashes his majestic soul vocals with a gem called 'Yes My Love Is Real', reminiscent of Simply Red, a great song let down only by the midi horns, a shame !

Maiko Watson's 'Some Kinda Love' gets the party back on track, this girl has a real edge in her soulful vocals with delicious timbres hitting you like a fruity wine, you can smell the smoke and the organic groove is truly infectious in the pocket and swinging. Soopasoul with Sitzka sees some gritty deep funk getting into the mix a nice Staples type feel and real horns!! Keep fuelling the flames of funk guys this is quality! 'Judderbass' feat. Jessica Brown sees Thompson take the mixing duties on by himself on this floorfilla jam and it rocks along nicely with a killer chorus to boot!

This compilation is hugely impressive, showing you how much talent is out there and what can be achieved with a limited budget - some kicking beats and inventiveness goes along way!

Blues & Souls: Rated 8