First Contact

First Contact is home to the Toto-sampling top 20 European hit "Another Chance," which also topped the official singles chart in the U.K. Unfortunately, because of the Toto sample ("I Won't Hold You Back"), First Contact had a difficult time finding a U.S. licensing partner. Coming to its rescue is Long Island City, N.Y.-based distributor Musicrama, which distributes many imports in the U.S. marketplace. Throughout First Contact—the debut full-length from the globally revered DJ/producer —sun-kissed beats and rhythms effortlessly merge with warm vocal stylings, courtesy of guests that include N'Dea Davenport ("You Can't Change Me"), Cooly's Hot Box ("I Never Knew"), and Texas' Sharleen Spiteri ("Nothing 2 Prove"). On "The Partee," Sanchez goes deeper underground and enters Afro Medusa territory with a blistering Latin-inflected peak-hour house jam that also shows off his Dominican roots. The set closes with "Leavin' " (featuring singer Angela Johnson), which opens with a classical-leaning overture before evolving into a foot-stomping party jam. With the stateside arrival of First Contact, perhaps U.S. radio will now consider embracing the ebullient "Another Chance."—MP