From: Jon Freer (jon-freer_at_excite.com)
Date: 2006-01-10 18:49:23
Jon Freer’s Reviews – 10th January 2006.
Singles:
Julien Jabre – Swimming Places (Defected)
Shur-I-Kan vs Milton Jackson – I Want It EP (Freerange)
Chuck Love – Soul Symphony (Om Records)
Spank Rock – Rick Rubin (Big Dada)
Lotek Hi-Fi – Move Your Thing (Big Dada)
Part 2 feat. Fallacy – One Of Dem Days (Big Dada)
Ok_Ma – Go-Flo (R2 Records)
Ivana Santilli – Everlasting (RMXS) (Do Right Music)
Playgroup feat. KC Flight – Front 2 Back (Defected)
Stranger – Medicine EP (Outergaze)
Markus Enochson – Paperbaginwind (F…U! F Comm)
Soul Central – Need You Now (Defected)
Murray Richardson – Let It Rock EP (Nordic Trax)
Mula – Her Boyfriend Was The DJ (SP Music)
Funk D’Void & Phil Kieran – White Lice (Soma)
Missy Elliot – Teary Eyed (Tiefschwarz RMXS) (Atlantic)
Vector Lovers – Post-Arctic Industries (Soma)
Tom Stephan & D. Ramirez – Shake It Baby (Slave)
Deepswing feat. Jacqueline Campa – Dance Tonight (Generate Music)
Martin Solveig – Jealously (Defected)
Thanks to Toni T at Defected, Matt at Freerange, Gareth at Zzonked, Ruth at Toast, Laura at Ninja Tune, Younglee at Ok_Ma, John Do Right Music, Kae at Outergaze, Markus Enochson, Luke at Nordic Trax, Tom at SP Music, Jim at Soma, Johnny D at Atlantic, All at Slave and Deepswing for these…
Julien Jabre – Swimming Places (Defected)
Cat No: DFTD122. Release Date: 13th February 2006.
Ludicrously simple, yet highly addictive, this ice cool summer stormer finally gets a UK outing. A four-note key refrain, which will imprint itself on the stereo inside your mind, gives the track its distinctive jolly character. Jerome Sydenham supplies a gold-rimmed overhaul with confident strings and magnetic guitars, whilst his Dub is a resiliently bassed refix. Pete Heller also offers a couple of mixes where pacifying keys rule, but the original version will draw you back for more, time after time.
Shur-I-Kan vs Milton Jackson – I Want It EP (Freerange)
Cat No: FR069. Release Date: 13th February 2006.
Shur-I-Kan hooked up with Milton Jackson via the web, and this virtual partnership was a brilliant musical match, fusing Shur’s deep thinking ideas with Milton’s zingy discoed sound. Shur-I-Kan’s version of “I Want It” watches crushing synths pulverise all that lies in their path. Milton’s version lets those overjoyed synths go on the rampage once more, this time on the back of a thumpin’ percussive arrangement. Incisive chords and a loyal bass back gazing keys on the direct “On The Up”.
Chuck Love – Soul Symphony (Om Records)
Cat No: OM 192. Release Date: 6th March 2006.
Fitting in nicely with the smooth soul-aching House sound pioneered by Naked Music et al, Minneapolis’ Chuck Love drops an EP of clean, to-the-point grooves. “Something Right” stands head and shoulders above the rest of the material on this record, with heartening brass, sizzling guitars and love showing strings teaming up behind life-affirming vocals. The ‘Acid-Washed Dub’ of “Soul Symphony” is also worth a mention, where uptight JT Donaldson esque keys party alongside rowdy guitars.
Spank Rock – Rick Rubin (Big Dada)
Cat No: BD090. Release Date: 13th February 2006.
Definitely a contender for the heaviest fracturedly percussed record made outside of the UK, Spank Rock drop a broken hop record of anthemic proportions. A seething bass, angerous vocals and discomforting telephone keys are blown out of the water by mental Bugz style percussion on the original version. The ‘Revox feat. Pace’ tones down the bass and beats and thus is a little too polite, whilst the ‘XXXChange Electro Remix’ watches squabbling synths and derisive beats battle it out. Bonus cut, “Girls And Boys”, is home to lumbering beats and a sewageous bass.
Lotek Hi-Fi – Move Your Thing (Big Dada)
Cat No: BDDL 87. Release Date: 20th January 2006. DOWNLOAD ONLY.
Four vocalists clamoured for the attention as they encouraged the listener to party on the bassy original of “Move Your Thing”. Here a trio of acts have revisited the track in a stylish manner. Small Arms Fiya offer a densely beaten and unpierceable bass retooling, with Percy Filth throwing wayward keys over a savage bass on his remix. A virtuous live bass takes the credit on Lucrative’s mix, whilst Mr. Lotek himself offers a heaving dub of “Sticks And Stones”, where a teasing sax is enveloped by a dark bass mist.
Part 2 feat. Fallacy – One Of Dem Days (Big Dada)
Cat No: BDDL 88. Release Date: 20th January 2006. DOWNLOAD ONLY.
Part 2 himself has revisited “One of Dem Days” and blasts the track into the next millennium. Gunshot beats and a garageous bass that will make your blood run cold do the damage on this petrifying revisit, where Fallacy sounds pretty intimidating. There’s a revox of “Take Your Time”, with Rick Witter of Shed Seven sounding a little like Shaun Ryder, as his off key vocals ride an odious long-legged bass and knocked off percussion. Bonus track, “Mad Fazes”, find Lotek Hi-Fi and Sandra Melody remarking on the changes in life, over bangin’ beats and unfriendly bass pressure.
Ok_Ma – Go-Flo (R2 Records)
Release Date: February 2006.
Originally a sax and beats partnership, OK_Ma then took to the studio and came up with this slice of cool broken soul hop, which taken from their forthcoming debut album. Rattling percussion, dancehall bass power and cursing strings back answer demanding vocals on the original. Bennson’s remix offers defined kit percussion and live bass groovings, whilst the Bandmasterflight mix brings key sweetness and muted brass musings to the table.
Ivana Santilli – Everlasting (RMXS) (Do Right Music)
Cat No: DR013. Available Now.
Tokyo’s DJ Mitsu and Do Right’s own Circle Research put brilliant Canadian vocalist Ivana Santilli through her paces on this 12”. Mitsu calls on sawn off beats, playful keys and Osunlade type gooey synths to back Ivana’s impatient vocals. Restless beats, a funked off bass and a wishing rap from Abdominal add the spice on Circle Research’s version. Instrumentals of both remixes are included in this package, as is the gracious trumpet laced original version.
Playgroup feat. KC Flight – Front 2 Back (Defected)
Cat No: DFTD119. Release Date: 23rd January 2006.
Trevor Jackson on Defected? What is the world coming to? Well, in actual fact, his original version of “Front 2 Back” doesn’t appear on this release, and the remix job has been given to Kenny Dope, Todd Terry and Switch. Kenny Dope offers three remixes, with his ‘Gotta Mix’ and ‘Gotta Dub’ versions bringing thumped beats and carousing synths to the party. Kenny’s mega ‘Old Skool Remix’ delivers a sullen bass and a complicated horn arrangement under KC Flight’s pleasure-seeking vocals. Can’t keep still keys and fun-loving synths have a blast on Todd Terry’s plain retoolings, whilst a disorientating vocal collage and a restrained bassline do the damage on Switch’s entertaining revision.
Stranger – Medicine EP (Outergaze)
Cat No: OG 011. Promo.
Ben ‘Stranger’ Cook is releasing records like there’s no tomorrow, and here he turns up with a minimal yet tasty cut on Japan’s magic Outergaze imprint. Crazy synthetics, groovin’ and shakin’ low end bass action and composed beats meet on “Medicine”. The bass wobbles around on the ‘Fierce Reprise’, as the synths break up into tiny pieces and the beats are held close. Officious beats and a slow moving bass make the effort on the ‘Medicine Drum’ version.
Markus Enochson – Paperbaginwind (F…U! F Comm)
Cat No: FU234. Available Now.
Mr. Versatile, Sweden’s Markus Enochson opts for epic Techno trickiness on this outing for F Comm’s charmingly named F…U! subsidiary. “Paperbaginwind” is enthrallingly simple, as the title suggests, with angry beats, energising strings and pummelling keys making the effort.
Soul Central – Need You Now (Defected)
Cat No: DFTD120. Available Now.
Soul Central are no strangers to reworking piano dominated numbers, this time touching up Nikkita Warren’s “Need You Now” for 2006. An addictive key display, spreading strings and powering beats meet on their commendable update. The pick of the remixes from Sergio Flores, whose tied in knots sax play and infectious key hammering puts his version leagues ahead of Mark Knight & Martijn Ten Velden’s hands in the air revamp and Deep Josh’s jumpy keyed bumper.
Murray Richardson – Let It Rock EP (Nordic Trax)
Cat No: NT034. Release Date: January 2006.
Murray Richardson joins the consistent Nordic Trax imprint with an EP of minimal deeper House. “Pink Champagne (Mi Amor)” watches looped vocal refrains sweep over a worn bass groove and never giving up beats. Gavin Froome gives the track a little more colour on his excellent remix, where fizzy synths and watery keys recline. “Let It Rock” sees positive keys dance over heavily hit beats and a shaking electronic bass.
Mula – Her Boyfriend Was The DJ (SP Music)
Cat No: SP-1203. Release Date: January 2006.
It’s a little while since Mula’s album dropped, and this 12” sees label boss David Parr and David Duriez provide hot versions of “Her Boyfriend Was The DJ”. David Parr’s ‘Stompa Phunk Mix’ blurs the vocals over animated keys and a sleazy electroid bassline. Duriez’s mix uses sprinting beats, a focused bass and blinding keys to ensnare those FXed vocals.
Funk D’Void & Phil Kieran – White Lice (Soma)
Cat No: SOMA 188. Release Date: 30th January 2006.
Sometime partners Funk D’Void and Phil Kieran hook up here for a coarse yet inviting dancefloor ride entitled “White Lice”. A convulsing bass takes centre stage, with hoisted synths and tough beats providing the support where necessary.
Missy Elliot – Teary Eyed (Tiefschwarz RMXS) (Atlantic)
Promo.
Missy gets kidnapped and taken to Germany to party with electronic house daddies Tiefschwarz. Emotionless beats, a nasty to the core bassline and haughty strings back bitterly complaining vocals on the ‘Club Mix’. A grating bassline tears through confident beats and confused keys on the Dub.
Vector Lovers – Post-Arctic Industries (Soma)
Cat No: SOMA 189. Release Date: 6th February 2006.
Here, Epsion has revisited Martin ‘Vector Lovers’ Wheeler’s nonsensically titled “Nostalgia 4 Tha Future” for electro-breaks fans. A snarling bass and supple percussion work up a rhythmic frenzy behind starry-eyed keys and alienonic vocal effects on this smart overhaul.
Tom Stephan & D. Ramirez – Shake It Baby (Slave)
Cat No: Slave 09. Promo.
Stephan and Ramirez don’t make music for the faint hearted, with “Shake It Baby” rising above many other soulless Techy outings, due to the appearance of a monster synth line. This immediately catchy riff does the business over hard-hitting beats and a threatening bass. Renè Amesz & Peter Gelderblöm’s remix lets compressed beats and wincing keys back those mind-bending synths.
Deepswing feat. Jacqueline Campa – Dance Tonight (Generate Music)
Cat No: GM020. Promo.
Sticking with their formula of making party starting vocal House, Deepswing are back again, this time with vocalist Jacqueline Campa. The finest version is the ‘Classic Mix’, where beats thump under tickling guitars, jerky keys and commanding vocals. The ‘AirexGroove Mix’ is a little on the frothy side, whilst Matteo Esse & Sant push synths and bass to breaking point on their revision.
Martin Solveig – Jealously (Defected)
Cat No: DFTD121. Release Date: 30th January 2006
Poppy discoey in flavour and rather fun, “Jealousy” is destined to do the business on commercial floors, mainstream radio and perhaps even in the charts. Sharp guitars, happy brass and a fun-loving bass are ideally suited to the job of backing angered vocals from Lee Fields.
Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_gmail.com)
*Website: www.mosoul.co.uk.
*Freelance journalist.
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