Michael The Lion vs Jay Airiness (Diggin Deeper)

It’s a relief when the people you know mostly from social media make great records (and awkward when they don’t). DJ Apt-One is Michael The Lion, whose work has been published with pride by Razor-N-Tape and Soul Clap of late. Philadelphia still has an outsized presence in this scene relative to its size and talented producers and DJs like Michael are a key reason why.

“Keep On Hangin’ On” is a driving funk cut of what we’ll stick with the program and also call “a loft classic” – a rotating loop that functions like a rip cord. Sweet and full of finesse, “Keep On” is probably reason enough to make this record buy-on-sight. “Finally” and two tracks from Jay Airiness on the flip are the Ginsu moment: the knee-deep-in-the-funk roller disco grooves in Michael’s “Finally” and the slap addict-enabling “Funky Situation” by Airiness differ in tone – each of these guys have their own sound that’s going to appeal to probably very different types of DJs, which makes the split something of an odd duck. But no question you’ll find something lovable here.