-Greg’s Take-

Music moves in a cyclical pattern, but every once and a while a gleaming ray of originality shoots off from the pattern.

For the last two decades, Houston’s DJ Sun has seen witnessed the revolution, reimagining and constantly moving scene first hand. But his contribution is anything but saturated in mainstream.

I’ll be the first to admit that when I see “DJ” in the name, my mind instantly goes to Electric Daisy Carnival or people wearing helmets made of lights.

Imagine my surprise when I gave One Hundred a spin.

The nineteen track record, created with the help from Tim Ruiz (La Mafia), Dave McNair (Bob Dylan, Los Lobos, The String Cheese Incident), E’s E (Names You Can Trust) and The Are, to name a few, is steered masterfully with DJ Sun at the helm.

The product of years of work, One Hundred sees the light of day thanks to the Sun (every pun intended) through beautifully laid mixes of Funk, Soul and retro hip-hop vibes. If you reach into the bag of One Hundred you can easily pull out a handful of great tracks. The grooves are absolutely infectious. They make your soul want to dance. “Sensation” dances into “Stinger” which slides into “Heart Seed feat Leah Alvarez” and when you come out the other side of this three song set, you want an encore. Well, don’t worry, those are only tracks four through six, so there are plenty of great tracks still ahead.

One Hundred isn’t a reimagining of Funk and retro hip-hop like everyone else is doing right now. Instead, it takes a hard left, breaks the circle and flows against the current with its slick transitions and tight cuts. It is an electronic ode to great styles without becoming overbearing with beats and synth. “Seconds,” “Fun” and “Dubai” are just a few of the well-placed tracks that continue to impress as they mellow out, and continue to breathe life into the already refreshing album. Each track compliments every other in a way that if you were to put this on at a party, everyone will surely keep moving and you’re guaranteed to get the “wow! Who is this?” But it should also be known that the record itself is a great listen regardless of where you are or how many people you’re with.  It instantly sucks you into the mellow style and retro vibe.

DJ Sun does well to keep it just enough “DJ,” by incorporating his samples and loops, and enough Funk meets Soul by way of hip-hop to avoid standing in the stereotypical “DJ” shoes.  Years of experience and an exquisite ear for all that is groove makes One Hundred a fantastic path off the well-traveled road of recreation, revolution and reimagining.