I'll second the Locked On recommendation - I've got four of their records,
and they haven't me disappointed yet. Really tough, breaky stuff in the vein
of Landslide, but more straightforwardly garagey.
Also check out anything on Shelf Life - I believe there are 4 records so
far, of which I've found 3 (one is purportedly Blaze, but I have a hard time
believing it's the same as the US Garage Blaze), and they're all hella
tight: clipped and dubby and spacious, with some cheeky basslines.
I was really excited after hearing the Lina single, which was choppy R&B
inna garage style, that there'd be some good remixes of it... unfortunately,
the doublepack I got (rmxs by Architects, Transformerz, et al) doesn't
improve upon the original at all.
And don't forget Julie Dexter's "The Plan" on Main Squeeze - IG gets nice w/
a 2step mix... in a similar vein, keep your eyes peeled for some broken
2step mixes of Beatless coming out sometime this summer from Ubiquity.
Cheers
Philip
-----Original Message-----
From: Dirk van den Heuvel
To: Leslie N. Shill; Mark Turner
Cc: Erik Boralv
Sent: 5/9/01 6:05 PM
Subject: RE: Will this break 2 step in the US?
A couple of points...
first off, it's hard to pin down the sound of 2-step right now as many
people/labels are combining it with other sounds and creating these new
hybrids. Whether it's 2-step mixed with breaks and drum & bass or 2-step
that veers over to broken beat or 2-step mixed liberally with r&b. The
genre
we get the most calls about right now is hands down 2-step and whether
you've gotten a chance to hear or not, or whether you're a fan or not,
there
simply is no denying now that there are some execellent 2-step records
out
there.
Here's an off the cuff list of 2-step artists/singles well worth
tracking
down:
1. Wookie (his own stuff plus his tons of remixes)
2. Landslide
3. MJ Cole (his own stuff plus his tons of remixes)
4. Horsepower Prods
5. Gush Collective
6. 2-step remix of Outkast's Miss Jackson
7. DJ Zinc- 138 Trek
8. Jammin
9. Kosheen-Hide U Garage Remix
10. So Solid Crew (for so more poppy 2-step)
11. most of the stuff on Locked On
Dirk van den Heuvel
President/GM, Groove Distribution
"Your Guide To The Underground"
http://www.groovedis.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Leslie N. Shill [mailto:icehouse@redshift.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2001 6:57 PM
To: Mark Turner
Cc: Erik Boralv
Subject: Re: Will this break 2 step in the US?
Mark,
It is true, I am a very open minded when it comes to music but so far
there
has been very little that raises my thermometer when it comes to 2-step.
I
am hopeful that, as you point out, some truly good and valid music will
emerge from what we are now hearing but, quite frankly, there is little
here
in the 2-step thing that gets my full interest. I try to be as accepting
as
possible of all kinds of music and in particular of the music that
people on
this list tend to be positive about but 2-step just doesn't do it for me
I
am afraid. As a live DJ I find only a smattering of tracks that i can
work
into my dance sets and, as a radio DJ, there is almost nothing that I
have
found to be worth layering into my sets!
You are right about Drum and Bass and where it emerged from and to take
it
one step further, there is much that qualifies as DnB that I find to be
unmitigated drivel but there is a whole lot that I love. I hope that you
are
right and that some classic thing emerges out of what is currently
2-step
and I would be more than happy to find that music and to air it on the
radio
and the dancefloor.
It is interesting to note that no well known DnB producer has produced
tracks for any group with the sort of profile that Nsync has. I am
prepared
to give it time to develop and to see what emerges out of it but I am
going
to take some convincing because i find the rhythms not to my taste,
there is
so much more that is a lot more danceable and also listenable.
If there is anyone out there who wants to put up a list of their top 10
or
even 5 of absolutely MUST listen 2-step, I am open enough to give that a
listen, if I can find the stuff! Bring it on, my thing is music and if
you
and the others on this list whose opinions I respect really find
something
to LOVE about 2-step, then I owe it to myself to listen some more!
leslie/The Power of Sound
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Turner" <nugroove@pacbell.net>
To: <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2001 3:38 PM
Subject: RE: Will this break 2 step in the US?
> Leslie Shill said:
> --
> So Dave, I just can't agree with you about 2-step, there will probably
> eventually be a handful of tracks that bear mentioning but I am unable
to
> see this form even become a genre in its own right and quite frankly,
give
> me some good downtempo stuff any time of the day if I am just
listening
and
> some good solid beats if I am dancing but, as a DJ who likes to think
of
> himself as being somewhat eclectic, 2-step is a short-lived
phenomenon.
Who
> will produce or remix the Britney Spears 2-step track? Once a form
makes
the
> crossover to artists like Nsync then, musical snob that I admittedly
am,
it
> goes into my out box faster than you can say 2-step!
> --
>
> Leslie, I'm surprised to hear an open-minded DJ such as yourself
writing
off
> 2-step so quickly. Don't forget that the drum'n'bass music which you
> obviously cherish had its origins in the hardcore rave scene, a scene
that
> gave us MUCH forgettable music!
>
> At this point, I'm not sure whether I consider 2-step a genre or
simply a
> rhythm. But I've heard enough to know that it can encompass many
styles of
> music, from house to soul to jazz, dub, and beyond. Recently I've been
VERY
> impressed by the work of Horsepower Productions, who seem to be all
over
the
> musical map with their 2-step experiments. I say give it time to
develop,
> and before long, some truly awesome 2-step tracks will be hitting you
right
> between the ears. :-)
>
> _____________________
> Mark Turner
> nugroove@pacbell.net
> www.jazzadelica.com
> _____________________
>
>
>
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