Pulsating beats. Through the roof energy. Hot muscle boys, wall to wall. So sets the stage for a night at Alegria, the New York City circuit event that takes place six or seven times throughout the year. Most holiday weekends, thousands of the hottest men converge upon Crobar to succumb to the driving percussive rhythms of DJ Abel and get lost in a sexually-charged night (and morning) of circuit beats and circuit boys.
"Hey Alegria! Are you feeling it? Are you ready for a party tonight?" Those ever-resonating words are spoken by Jeanie Tracy during the intro to the peak hour disc. Peak hour kicks off with two quintessential Alegria anthems, "Don't You Want My Love" and "Cha Cha Heels," both by Rosabel. This special unreleased edit of "Don't You Want My Love" is typical of the high-energy diva record that Abel would throw down, and immediately places you under his disco ball. It will have you in the midst of the cha cha boys dancing right along with Jeanie Tracy on her massive "Cha Cha Heels" record. This sassy dancefloor stomper will catapult you into the peak hour realm of Abel. A fierce progressive tribal rework by Chus & Ceballos of "Wicked Fortress" follows combining spoken-male vocals with dark hollow drumbeats. The appropriately-titled "Waiting for Alegria" by Zhana Saunders is placed perfectly as the centerpiece of the disc. Tony Moran & Ric Sena's frenetic beats and blaring horns capture the peak hour sensation that Alegria delivers.
DJ Paulo's Remix of Ofra Haza's "Love Song" is a driving Middle Eastern-influenced big room anthem that is alluring and melodic, and firmly plants itself as one the high points on this collection. Finishing up the peak disc is the updated version by Rosabel of the club classic, "Push the Feeling On" by Nightcrawlers.
Thankfully the night is not over yet. Abel transitions you from the peak hour to the after hour portion of his set with the Peter Rauhofer's Timeless Club Mix of "Time" by Murk. This male vocal is a great song to take you from the peak hour energy of disc one to the more progressive and darker side of disc two. This disc combines the tribal and progressive sounds, with minimal vocals, to create a wonderful afterhours vibe that will have you moving along with the thousands of party boys still going strong at Alegria at 8 or 9 am.
Matthew Dekay's "Move Yo" will keep you moving and Tedd Patterson's "Dub Dub" you will have you completely enraptured in the swirling progressive journey that you are on. For anyone who is a fan of tribal, the non-stop percussion in "Yet Yeat Deva" by Ramirez Tejada will more than satisfy you, as will the driving dark rhythms of "Discoteca" by JJ Flores & Steve Smooth. Rounding out the after hour disc, as well as the collection is another one of the major highlights. "Sanctuary" by Origene combines gorgeous and comforting vocals with a late-night circuit rerub by Tony Moran & Warren Rigg. It's only fitting that the last track on the collection is dripping in sexuality. Kozak's "KGB" combines the two qualities that make Alegria so alluring to the party boys… energetic beats and driving sexuality. This lethal combination is what makes Alegria a must-attend party, and also which makes this double-disc set a must-have compilation.
