From: Jon Freer (jon-freer_at_excite.com)
Date: 2003-11-22 17:58:03
Jon Freer’s Reviews. 22nd November 2003.
Thanks to Sarah at Favouritzm, Everton at SuSU, Kenny Thomas, Phil Asher, Nik Weston, Tammy at Magnum PR, Bob & Tash at Exceptional, Caroline at Soma, Matthias Schaffhauser and Janet at Low Pressings 4 these...
Reel People feat Dyanna Fearon – Butterflies (Papa Records)
Cat No: PAPA015. 12” single.
Phil ‘Restless Soul’ Asher has diversified the appeal of Reel People’s full of anticipation “Butterflies” single, with a revision tailored for the Housier of floors. His ‘Soul Heaven Mix’ sees teasing brass link up with gloriously subtle strings and pretty guitar strums under Dyanna’s excited vocal warbles. The probably unnecessary instrumental version is a carbon copy of the A side, minus Dyanna’s infectious nervous yet eager vocals.
DJ Ali feat Tim Fuller – You Don’t Know (Classic)
Cat No: CMC23. Release Date: 8th December 2003. 12” single.
Sneakily licensed from the petite US based Village imprint, “You Don’t Know” gets a pair of distinctly different re-rubs from Jacob London and Radio Slave. The ‘Original Ruff Cut’ is still the choice outing, and no we still don’t know what Tim is going on about, as he mumbles incoherently over worrying string explosions and insistent beats. The ‘Radio Slave Mix’ pits nasty acid feedback against a hitting analogue bass, whilst Jacob London’s ‘Sweaty End Mix’ is a fiddling key addled version.
Mike Dixon – House of Mouths (Classic)
Cat No: CMC 24. Available Now. 12” single.
Originally part of his well received “3 Piece Suite EP”, the bizarrely titled “House of Mouths” returns in reinterpreted form. Derrick Carter pulls it out of the bag with his ‘D’s Piece of the pie’ revision, as militant wobble board soundalike synths meet crazy circling keys and dizzifying vocal touches. Mike’s own stuttered ‘Tech Dub’ and bass fizzing ‘Silent Dub’ aren’t worth pursuing.
Plej – You (Exceptional)
Cat No: EXEC 34. Available Now. 12” single.
Erik Niklassan ropes in fine vocalist and producer Jonatan Backeli aka rough broken beat don Tantan, for another slice of fuzzy laidback House. The ‘12” mix’ is a seductive invitation to dance, with live minded loose percussion, smile-inducing keys and underwater trumpeted action. Kompis’s remix is a stripped down cleaner yet darker revision, where biting jagged beats meet lazing chords and computerised synths.
Master H – Thirteen (Soma)
Cat No: SOMA LP 31. Available Now. Double LP & CD album.
An unlucky omen for some, it doesn’t seem likely that the ‘H’ is superstitious. Whether titling his album “Thirteen” gives him bad luck or not isn’t the issue here. “Thirteen” is a selection of disco friendly House cuts that displays his technical proficiency, but doesn’t visit musical continents that haven’t previously been conquered. “Mayflower (Remix)” embodies the appeal of flowers, pretty in the first instance but hardly anything to shout about, with its guitary summerness, soaring strings and crowd whoops and laughs siphoned from a never-ending disco classic. “Thirteen” is a fun-loving cut with a worrying dark side, as rainforest sounds and uncompromising bass heaviness is pitted against beautiful synths and glowing key warmness. “Us” is a positive appreciation of a relationship, with clapped percussion, energetic brass jumps and guitar echoes. Good quality disposable club music.
Souledz feat Kenny Thomas – You Can’t Hide Your Love (Remixes) (suSU)
Cat No: 12SUSU19P. Available Now. 12” single.
Axwell and KCC provide proficient revisions that do the business, but they don’t quite reach the target set by the brilliant original. The ‘Axwell Remix’ is a peak time dancefloor thriving version, where Kenny’s love-bitten vocals partner energetic keys and buoyant strings. The ‘Carnivalist Club mix’ is a softer version for more restrained surroundings, with keyed gooeyness, guitar softness and a defined 2-step style bass. Their ‘Vocal Dubride’ unleashes the rolling bass to full effect.
Matthias Schaffhäuser – Musik Ohne Bass (Force Inc)
Promo. 12” single.
A slight change in direction for Matthias, “Music Ohne Bass” has an uncompromising and deafening bassline to damage even the most powerful of speakers. The power unleashed is akin to that of the nastiest nu-school breaks bass meeting the most pants soiling of type of Dillinja b-lines alongside ear-splitting synths and straight moving beats. There is also a ‘UK’ version, where the title is spoken in English, and a couple of dire Jan Driver revisions.
True to Nature – The Beat (Low Pressings)
Cat No: R4R 006. Promo. 12” single.
Dark melodic prog-minded deepness is the flavour here on this outing from True To Nature. “The Beat” is worth skipping, for its strobe mimicking beats, break-neck paced drumming and key resonantions. “The Bush” is the better of the pair, courtesy of live afro-type percussion, synths to lose yourself in and keys that provide elements of light.
-- Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_wrongsteps.com) reviewer and writer for the following websites and magazines: Blues & Soul Magazine, FACT Magazine,littleplanet.net, City Life Magazine, XLR8R Magazine, Keep On Magazine, pitchadjust.com, beyondjazz.net, Store Records(Sheffield), cratertechnology.com, vybemuzik.com, Steel Press, deephousenetwork.com, offitsface.com, Sandman mag, breakevencrew.com, overloadmedia.co.uk, funk-me.com, Vanguard online, quadrastate.co.uk, spaced.co.uk, beats.to, housecollective.org, capitolvibes.com, www.selekta.com, djriri.com, universalsource.co.uk, Inner Loop Magazine, housemuziq.com, undergroundhouse.net, worlddj.com, mosoul.co.uk, discotribe.net, flygarictracks.com, skansen.no, nwdnb.co.uk planetsoulnetwork.com allaboutdj.com mundovibes.com... Writer for: Brique Rouge, Exceptional Records, Foreplay Recordings, Robsoul Recordings, Dust Traxx, Spiritual Life Music and more... Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_wrongsteps.com) reviewer and writer for the following websites and magazines: Blues & Soul Magazine, FACT Magazine,littleplanet.net, City Life Magazine, XLR8R Magazine, Keep On Magazine, pitchadjust.com, beyondjazz.net, Store Records(Sheffield), cratertechnology.com, vybemuzik.com, Steel Press, deephousenetwork.com, offitsface.com, Sandman mag, breakevencrew.com, overloadmedia.co.uk, funk-me.com, Vanguard online, quadrastate.co.uk, spaced.co.uk, beats.to, housecollective.org, capitolvibes.com, www.selekta.com, djriri.com, universalsource.co.uk, Inner Loop Magazine, housemuziq.com, undergroundhouse.net, worlddj.com, mosoul.co.uk, discotribe.net, flygarictracks.com, skansen.no, nwdnb.co.uk planetsoulnetwork.com allaboutdj.com mundovibes.com... Writer for: Brique Rouge, Exceptional Records, Foreplay Recordings, Robsoul Recordings, Dust Traxx, Spiritual Life Music and more... _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!