His name is synonymous with the soulful House movement. And, as one of the creative forces and founding members of Blaze, Josh Milan has influenced decades of dance music embraced around the world.

Emotive vocal harmonies and uplifting lyricism always bring down the house wherever he performs with Louie Vega's Elements Of Life Band. More recently, though, Milan's been busy making his Honeycomb Music label a home for real artists with real talent, people with something special. Now, he's excited to share another side of this luminous career as Vega Records proudly presents Honeysweet. The groundbreaking, three-track EP is just a taste of what's in store for fans awaiting an upcoming solo album that displays Milan's versatile range and sophisticated ear for what speaks to our spirit and primal.

"Honeysweet was just an idea at first," says the front man and multiinstrumentalist whose collaborative work with Vega has produced hit after hit, notably with the acclaimed Elements of Life ensemble. "I'm a musician and I've always wanted to do musical jams with a small band. Santana, War, Mandrill, Cymande and plenty other bands of the 70s focused mainly on their instrumentals. I decided to follow their footsteps to showcase my instrumental."He's certainly mixed a funky elixir that breaks all the rules, and DJ tools will be an added bonus. "When I heard a few tracks off the instrumental Honeysweet project, I was very excited about the project and immediately signed the album," Vega says. "Just imagine we are doing an Elements of Life show, and Josh breaks out with a few Honeysweet songs showcasing him as a musician. I look forward to this album, and the Honeysweet EP has three infectious grooves."

Every track selected for this new EP is golden. Hard-hitting ATL balances organic and electronic sounds with a driving sax solo and combo of synths. Tight arrangement and percussion intricacies shine on the Bro. Esteban Main mix, which features Milan playing melodica throughout the track. This invokes an Afrobeat/House feel to it with funky guitar riffs bringing in some Fela Kuti sound. "Josh Milan is a jazz musician, he plays all sorts of styles and he has the magic touch when playing the keys," Vega says. "Also, his music vision is vast and with this album, he moves freely in so many directions that you can hear his vast musical mind letting loose!"

Another off-the-chain production from the Honeysweet EP, "Fort Greene's Theme," transports you to the Brooklyn park known for soulful summer sessions where dancing with abandon is more than welcome. Keyboards and bass interact perfectly on this track, as Milan's tasteful choice of notes within chord playing points to his unique style and flair.

Milan values musicianship, but still has fun experimenting in the studio. He unites two worlds of dance with a funky twist using synth bass and electronic keys fearlessly - a generous gift we've all come to expect and love. With his latest, Milan has created first-class material along with band members affectionately referred to as his brothers and sisters. "This is only a test," he says. "We'd like to see if these instrumentals can touch the heart of people all over the world. I believe that music is medicine for the soul."