Album Review: Mark Farina – Isolated Samples

Mark Farina has released a new album Isolated Samples out on Robsoul Recordings. The album is a love letter to the dance music that he fell in love with at the very beginning, ranging from acid to Chicago house, playful piano house and much more.

The Mushroom Jazz head hasn’t put out a solo album in close to a decade since his 2012 LP Greenhouse Construction, but the forced time off from touring due to the pandemic gave him time to work on making music again. And it wasn’t just time to make a few tracks, it was time to really immerse in creating a full body of work. Many DJs during this period of reflection and isolation went with music that was more pensive and soft-spoken, but Mark stuck with what will be needed when clubbing returns with these dance-ready tunes. Each track on Isolated Samples has the Mushroom Jazz sound locked and loaded with a slightly different twist on each record.