FEATURED RELEASE
Compilation released 12-07-2010 on BBE
Claro Intelecto, Redshape, Marcel Dettmann? Chicago, Detroit, and New York? Anyone puzzled by the discrepancies between this compilation's title and its track selection should give it a listen, and we promise that things will clear up pretty quickly.
Chicago, Detroit and New York have long become common topoi in electronic music - abstract concepts, moods, and systems of reference, rather than designations of origin. As electronic music has become globalised, so have the musical styles of Chicago, Detroit, and New York.
No one understands this better than Parisian DJ icon DJ Deep, who has compiled and mixed the third volume in the 'City to City' series for London's BBE label. His track selection combines rare gems by US house music artists like Mike Dunn, Armando, and DJ Traxx, with international productions from Frozen Border, Redshape, or Claro Intelecto.
Unified by fat, jacking drum-machine beats, bouncing basslines and melodramatic string interludes, his selection gels together exceptionally well. Thirteen single tracks are included in the package as well as a 1:17h long, expertly crafted mix. Highly recommended.
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MORE CHICAGO ESSENTIALS
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Absolutely classic Chicago house, wrested from oblivion by the crate diggers from Rush Hour: Jamie Principle gets super sexy with 'It's A Cold World' and 'Bad Boy', while Virgo's 'Let Your Body Talk' is just a perfect house song. Essential tracks, not only for old-school fans.
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Some serious trash talking going on this volume of Trax classics: 'Beat That Bitch...' will beat every dancefloor into submission, and it's the first time in 17 years this rare gem is available in proper audio quality. On the flip Maurice Joshua leaves no doubt about the size of his private parts. Hits!
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Great Chicago house reissue coming from the Clone camp: Harmony Funk's 'Can't Let You Go' gets treated to a deep and sensual remix by Marco Bernardi and a great dub techno reshape by the elusive Ovatow. Excellent and highly recommended.
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Paul Johnson and Gant-Man team up as Brother 2 Brother for a hard-hitting EP on Farriswheel - 'Mysteries' is a six-minute ride of bouncy bass-lines and spiralling synth-lines, while 'The Grimmie Bounce' on the flip is the mother of a bump'n grind track. Great comeback.
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Bam Bam's first ever released track from 1986, 'You've Been Messin Around' is a little known gem, which should definitely raise a few heads when played out. Banging drums, great spoken lyrics, and a killer, hand-played synthline - all the ingredients are there for a bona-fide classic.
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Maxi-Single released 09-07-2010 on Robsoul
Dj Sneak brings Latin club flavours to Robsoul with 'Que Pasa', a classic Chicago-style piece of sample house complete with a more understated Phil Weeks mix. For more synthetic Sneak grooves check the added 'Inside' with its nice acid house and wildpitch references.
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A stone-cold Robert Hood classic from 1996, 'Funky Souls' started off Hood's Floorplan series, which applied the man's minimalist production style to the realm of soulful disco sample-house with amazing results. Jacking, warm and hypnotic, this is still highly playable today.
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Legowelt and Orgue Electronique revive their Chicago Shags alias for this new five-tracker. 'Flamingo World' is old-school acid house crossed with the pair's obsession for hyperactive rave sounds, italo disco and horror movie soundtracks. Highly addictive stuff!
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With a genuine tip of the hat to old classic house and techno, Oracy really achieves what he set out to say with this record. 'Bass Mood' and 'Funk Advice' are in perfect partnership to offer a real solid EP that's not just built for the quick fire hit, but that the listener can come back to time after time.
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Amazing deep house by Chez Damier, getting the remix treatment by Demetrio Giannice and Carl Craig, who contributes a great, 69-syle version of 'Help Myself'.
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Maxi-Single released 09-07-2010 on Robsoul
Two Chicago-inspired jackers by Paul Woolford for Robsoul, which take away some of the intensity of their role models, leaving more room and space to develop over their playing time. Perfect for everybody trying to bring some old-school flavour into their sets but still keeping an eye on modern days.
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Daniel Bell was so impressed with young German producer that he resurrected his Elevate label to release his music, and 'All the way' is Baaz's second outing for Quintessentials: Soft in the middle and rough on the edges, this is perfect Chicago-inspired deep house. Recommended.
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Representing the new Spanish deep house scene, W&P Hgg is Valencia's Hugo Giner, also known from his fine Cornuta Sound label. His 'Future Gospel EP' is 4 tracks of great soulful and floor-ready house music - in the original Chicago sense of the word. Incl. Dubbyman & Above Smoke remix. Recommended.
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Tama Sumo's second collaboration with Prosumer is once again an intriguingly analogue and lo-fi affair, which substitutes sophistication with a huge portion of jacking soul. New Planet E artist The Oliverwho Factory contributes a fine remix of the title track as well. Bang those toms.
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After his more than excellent releases on Crème a couple of weeks ago, Toronto's Stuart Li better known as Basic Soul Unit strikes again with a monster three tracker on Hamburg's lovely Room With A View label. His unique signature connecting the old and the new is more than true house lovers can ask for.
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Known for his collaborations with Jazzanova and Moodymann, Detroit based bass player and singer Paul Randolph drops a soulful deep house inspired album on Chicago's Still Music label. Comes with remixes from Mike Banks (!), Underground Resistance, Deetron and Jazzanova. Summer tip!
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Compilation released 26-01-2010 on BBE
Compiled by the hardcore crate-diggers at Chicago's Mr. Peabody record store, 'The Real Sound Of Chicago' presents ultra-rare gems from the city's pre-house music era: Black underground dance music from the mid 70s to the mid 80s, drawing from disco, funk and soul. Highly recommended.
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Chicago house don takes his sound to a new level with his Cinematic Travels project. Owing as much to Sun Ra's cosmic mysticism as to house music, 'Ancient / Future' is a mesmerizing journey through 12 timeless tracks. Deep listening gem.
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Album released 23-02-2010 on + + +
Consisting of nine tracks created between 1996 and 2009, 'A Synthetic Love Life' is a perfect compendium of Jamal Moss' idiosyncratic take on Chicago house music. Relentlessly experimental, yet warm and soulful at the same time, Hieroglyphic Being's style is unmistakably his own.
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Album released 07-06-2010 on Dial
Efdemin names his second album after a city he's never been to, making 'Chicago' an album about utopian concepts rather than a literal tribute. Drawing on electro-acoustic music, jazz and - yes - jacking house beats for inspiration, this is a beautifully mature and highly recommended album.
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Marcello Napoletano has been receiving much praise for his recent releases on Jamal Moss' Mathematics imprint. 'Chicago-Detroit-New York' makes clear where the Italian producer derives his inspiration from and should expand his fan base even further: Four low-slung, instant classic cuts in the vein of house music pioneers like Ron Trent or Moodymann.
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Tevo Howard continues to amaze us with his heart-felt take on Chicago house. Yes, he is probably using the same gear as Marshall Jefferson did some 20 years ago, but as long as he churns out tracks as brilliant as 'Laboratory' with it, we honestly couldn't care less. Timeless house music.
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One of the finest moments in Paul Johnson's career: The Chicago house legend's 1996 album 'Feel The Music', recorded for the UK's Peacefrog imprint. This is eight house tracks of timeless quality, from the stomping stabs of 'A Little Suntin Suntin' to the subtle licks of 'About Your Love'.
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Known to keep its eyes on the future as well as on the past, Dutch label Rush Hour has managed to reissue these essential classics of Chicago house music, originally recorded by Merwyn Sanders and Eric Lewis in the late 80s for seminal Chicago label Trax. An unmissable lesson in house music history!
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Armando Gallup's untimely death remains one of the biggest tragedies in Chicago house music, but the Let's Pet Puppies crew is dedicated to keeping his memory alive with revamps of his original tracks. The Johnny Fiasco mix of 'Don't Take It' is especially great - rough, jacking acid house.
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Cajmere has undoubtedly been one of Chicago's most influential producers during the 1990s. His soulful house as Cajmere and brash, arpeggiated Chi-tech as Green Velvet put the Windy City back into the spotlight - his latter project's hits like 'Flash' and 'Land Of The Lost' are all found on this essential volume.
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An eternal house music classic from the inventors of acid house, 'Rise From Your Grave' is the 1990 follow up to Phuture's previous anti-crack hit 'Your Only Friend'. Features haunting chords and classic Phuture spoken word lyrics, including the famous 'This is cocaine speaking...' sample - so keep away from the white stuff, folks!
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A brilliant Larry Heard / Robert Owens collaboration, 'I'm Strong' first appeared on Heard's own Alleviated label in 1987, and was licensed to R&S along with a wicked, percussive instrumental version. Super rare and highly sought after until the Clone crew reissued this gem in 2007.
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Few have internalised the concept of lo-fi Chicago house loop sampling as much as DJ Elin, a.k.a. Auto Repeat. Chicago meets Vienna on this classic album of jacking bump'n grind tracks, complete with fitting remixes by Chicago legends Paul Johnson and DJ Sneak.
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Another Warehouse hit that was to define an era: The piano chord progression of 'Love Can't Turn Around' became a blueprint for an army of imitators, and Jesse Saunders' emphatic vocals still cause goosebumps on worldwide dancefloors 25 years after release. Must have.
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