Garage house, balearic grooves, boogie, and more from local DJ Xica Soul.

One of our favorite selectors in town, Daniela Zepeda aka Xica Soul knows how to make a dance floor move… A vinyl and dance music specialist, Daniela first made a name for herself in the boogie/funk scene playing at parties across California including Los Angeles’ Funkmosphere, Bay Area’s Sweaterfunk, and Santa Ana’s Funk Freaks. She currently holds a monthly residency at Homage Brewing in Chinatown and can be frequently found in Stones Throw related circles playing at Highland Park vinyl bar Goldline and at The Lodge Room alongside her musical partner Sonrisita and legends Peanut Butter Wolf and J Rocc.

As a DJ, Daniela has said that her intention is “to move people, inspire and connect through the honest power of music.” When you catch one of her sets, you’ll notice she’s always moving, always singing along, and her pure, joyful approach to music shines through. Sweet soul, downtempo, house, disco, boogie, and everything in between are seamlessly blended together with a smile and positive energy that’s felt by everyone on the dance floor. If you’re not able to see her set in person, we highly recommend tuning in to her monthly slot on Artform Radio‘s Worldwide FM show.

We’ve known Daniela for years now and are honored to have her join us for our 5 Selects series! Below, Daniela shares five of her recent favorites along with a short note on each pick.

Cloud One feat. Angel – Waiting For the Sunshine To Come (1990)

Written and produced by Patrick Adams! This track starts off a bit theatrical with soft rain and thunder sounds, following a sequence of laser effects that mimic lightning. Then expands beautifully into a bassline that falls in between new jack swing and garage house, underneath childlike vocals. The lyrics are endearing and innocent – essentially singing about missing someone. The heartfelt sentiments come through strong from the vocalist to the listener, and this naturally becomes a fun song to dance to while feeling some type of way. I don’t know much about the history of this track, however I do know that it has the Patrick Adams touch.

Bottin – Manifesto Balearico (Artifact 13) (2020)

This EP has been in my DJ bag all summer. I first heard Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy play this edit on her morning radio show, “Balearic Breakfast”- and was instantly drawn to the dreamy melody and sparse vocals. It’s a lush mid-tempo groove that envelopes the essence of those summertime sunsets. The rest of the tracks on this EP are equally rich and playful – notably “Palmy Days”, which has a funky bassline and tropical feel. A nice chiller to add to your summertime soundtrack!

MSG Feat. Glenn “Sweety G” Toby – I Can Tell (Club) (1987)

A funky garage house track with haunting vocals by Glenn “Sweety” Toby. The heavy synths and drums are what initially attracted me to this one, however I completely melted over the lyrics when I heard them for the first time. The lyrics are positive, encouraging, and promote self-love and to not take life too seriously, which is my personal interpretation. A unique mid-tempo production that is tuff, yet sweet.

Gaby Lang – 1-2-3 o’clock (Waiting) (1983)

A romantic and sincere boogie tune from 1983. Another track successfully executing that yearning feeling with flirty vocals and a subtle undertone of eagerness. Of course, the funky bassline seasoned with the tic-toc themes in the percussion make this one extra sweet and fun to sway to. I heard this one for the first time years ago at the legendary Sweaterfunk party inside the basement of Li-po Lounge in Chinatown, San Francisco. I never knew the name of this song, but the melody was etched in my memory throughout the years until I heard a friend play it again a few years ago. This track still continues to pull my heartstrings, and has been on rotation this summer as well. 

Smoke Screen – I’m So Inspired (1983)

An absolutely beautiful modern soul/2-step lovesong from 1983, written and produced by Barrett Strong, who was the first artist to record a hit for Motown. Lot’s of depth and tenderness in this dreamy floater. One of my go-to Sunday morning mood-lifters that I listen to quite often. I heard this for the first time at a soul event in the Bay Area played by collector, Nick Aguirre. I came across it a couple years ago, and I’m so happy that this romantic tune is in my collection now!