The Cover Mix: Honey Soundsystem

It's cover mix time.

This month we have Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder gracing the front cover in celebration of 40 years since the 'I Feel Love' was released. An anthem, a song that's stood the test of time, an absolute classic, 'I Feel Love' has influenced so many people in the dance music world, including the artists who have recorded this month's cover mix.

Honey Soundsystem, the San Francisco-based crew made up of DJs Jackie House, Josh Cheon, Bexier and Jason Kendig are celebrating 10 years of party throwing, label running, music making and touring this year. The group has made it a mission to reconnect the queer dots of forward-thinking dance-music - making them the best possible choice to put together this tribute to Donna and Giorgio (and Patrick's) epic track.

Referencing the ripples of disco and songs that have musically been inspired by the rolling arpeggio and 'long burn' of "I Feel Love", the San Francisco house and disco crew's mix climaxes with the astonishing fifteen minute version by the city's hi-NRG hero Patrick Cowley.

Enjoy.

1. Todd Terje ‘Ragysh’ (Running Back)

“How to open a mix dedicated to a hit? Open with a hitmaker! Todd Terje does Moroder redux brilliantly on this Running Back release – can’t you hear Donna soaring on top of it?”

2. Savas Pascalidis ‘Walk The Night’ (International Deejay Gigolos)

“From 2004 this foreshadows the Hi-NRG angle we take on this homage to ‘I Feel Love’– somehow Savas transported himself back to Patrick Cowley’s studio to record this one”

3. The Pilotwings ‘Les Invasions Babar’ (Brothers From Different Mothers)

“This duo from Lyon use a sawtooth bassline and fluttering top-lines to create classic material”

4. Phil Gerus‘Ohashi Sky Garden’ (Richard Sen remix) (Public Release Records)

“Mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios, this brand new remix on a Bay Area label cups your package and whispers ‘I grabbed love’”

5. Max & Mara ‘Concrete Lines’ (Dark Entries)

“Fans know that Mara actually plays her basslines by hand – and it’s a sight to behold. ‘Look mom, no sequencer!’”

6. Marlon Hoffstadt ‘Cyclin’ Since 94’ (Midnight Themes)

“This Berliner knew this record was hot enough to release himself – try and imagine that voice patch as a Donna Summer robot!”

7. Mr Pauli & David Vunk ‘Zanzibar Express’ (Moustache Records)

“Can’t imagine this mix without something from Vunk & Pauli. Catch the Discogs notes for a full run-down on the gear they used to make this Hi-NRG stomper”

8. Yello ‘I.T. Splash’ (Periphery Perfume)

“No Eurodance excursion is complete without a peekaboo from Boris and Deiter (oh, and Carlos was in the house for this one too)”

9. Ural 13 Diktators ‘Techno Is Dead’ (Ural 13 Records)

“The best part of mix-making is finding something you missed along the way – shout outs to Ron Like Hell for throwing us this bone!”

10. Xander Harris ‘Social Leather’ (DKA Records)

Another fresh hot pancake out on our favourite label right now, based in Atlanta and releasing all kinds of synthesizer dance noise – time to get trippy...”

11. Santiago Salazar ‘Sci Fi Xicano’ (Rush Hour Recordings)

“A modern take on the low-end theory vis-à-vis Moroder, this UR-trained producer metamorphs the Rhodes keyboard below some Los Angelic bright ends”

12. Scott Grooves ‘Deneb’ (Parts Manager)

“‘It’s called a reduction, gurl, can you handle it?’ A Detroit legend grooves us with little to great effect – we throw a lil’ quote from a Donna Summer 1978 interview in there while the mix breathes some air”

13. Miss Kitten & The Hacker ‘Flexibility’ [White]

“No explanation needed”

14. Jes ‘Hitchhiking’ (Chicken Lips Dub Unlimited)

“Pouring one out for the endless love affair between San Francisco and the UK where ravey disco-dubs never seem to grow out of fashion”

15. Divine ‘Love Reaction’ (edit) (White)

“Time to kick up some dust in our home stretch towards summer – glamour trash-bag Divine reacts to Bobby O beats”

16. Donna Summer ‘I Feel Love’ (Patrick Cowley mega mix) (Polygram)

“What we realised from listening to his long-lost reels of productions is that Cowley made edits in between producing original tracks. Making tape loops and playing his machines atop these remixes to give to DJ friends to play at the bustling gay discotheques of 1980s San Francisco”