house REVIEWS
QUICKIES
MONE
Y
Scope SHO
T!
Rocco Spencer
Omoplata someday Parker PHil C
nRK
Real Tone
Chiho
Belfast’s Scope looks one to watch The Rodamaal man takes it
Buzzin’ Fly
H
if he can replicate this kind of deliciously deep, Parker’s original is a
eeseman
quality on any kind of regular basis. combining old school Kerri rumbling, minimal take on
Smooth, controlled beats and a Chandler vibes with Kings Of Tomorrow’s ‘Fade
clipped bassline lay the foundation contemporary percussion II Black’, Jerome
1
0 T
for slowly building atmospherics and Jimpster-esque Sydenham’s remix adds
r
e
v
that open out into the main feature, fluidity. Superior warmth, depth and crisper
el
y
a set of almost orchestral, epic grooving. percussion, while his
an Gdns, London, NW1
strings on the leading ‘212 Mix’. It’s
not quite Silicone Soul’s ‘Right On’,
*****
‘Blacktro Dub’ takes things
deeper and darker.
but near enough the same terrain Phats feat
to command comparison with such Ben Ofoedu
*** *
exalted company. And with a neat Can’t stop Pezzner
switch of emphasis, the ‘313 Mix’
Data
almost Here
0 3JY
heads off into a blend of equally Phats, minus Small, goes
Freerange
successful post-acid squiggles and for the reunion jam with Almost bleakly linear and
deep piano in a tasteful homage to singer Ben Ofoedu and the quite probably inaccessible
Chicago house. Accomplished work result is an undemanding, for lovers of a good
and almost top marks too for just commercially slanted old-fashioned tune,
the brace of mixes. production with easy Pezzner’s hypnotic tracks
*****
hooks and radio-friendly are aimed at those who
attitude. Fonzerelli and value deep textures and
Out of Office are among moody grooves.
the remixes.
Love Over Money as you might imagine, while Mastik Soul accompaniment, it’s all about the
Keep On gives it something of a Germanic dynamics and atmospherics. ‘Spen’s
*** *
*** *
Tone Control
rumble at the bottom end. Soulelectric Mix’ spices up the beats to
Classy mellow tones from the UK outfit excellent effect and adds a vocal snip of
here, with Amanda Posener’s soothing
*** *
sorts, while his ‘Soulelectric Groove
vocals setting the mood for some Sharon Pass & Greg Ride’ adds some more electronic stuff
melodic moments. The original mixes Gibbs and a drifting string. Klement’s ‘Air’
keep the production feather-light with Call my name rounds things off, a nice slice of
jazzy keys and restrained horns before
Peppermint Jam
Freerange-style deepness.
the chunkier Restless Soul mixes weigh Take one accomplished female vocalist
in with clubbier beats, terse basslines (spotters will remember Ms Pass from
****
*
and more urgent percussion. Good stuff Voices Of Life) and one male in the Mirror Music
all round. Michael Watford tradition and you have strange Things i’ll Remember
*****
just the ingredients for the sort of (Remixes Pt 2)
soulful stew specialised in by Richard
Darkroom Dubs
Danism Earnshaw. Rich duly obliges with a little Silicone Soul’s Graeme Reedie and his
afterdark eP iii string action, a la ‘Most Precious Love’, film-scoring buddy Dave Donaldson
Mn2s
and his trademark guitar picks, while have a neat riposte here to the more
With their Haze-featuring ‘Strike’ still Sharon and Greg make a great job of po-faced peddlers of deep and minimal.
building nicely, the two Dans turn their overcoming some well-trodden lyrical ‘Fun’ delivers the f-word with a
attention back to their ongoing series themes. Shik Stylko switch it with some lighthearted flourish of cinematic and
of straight-up tracky grooves, this more electronic bouncing beats, but it’s slightly camp disco grooves (think Jeoy
latest volume fixed with a slightly Syke & Sugarstarr who turn out the best Negro in playful mode), while Silicone
tenuous Ibiza theme. Lead cut ‘The club mix by way of a thumping dub fired Soul’s ‘Hypnohouse Dub’ of ‘Sea of
Jungle’ strikes an upright pose with up by irresistible beats and good use of Tranquility’ employs some delicate and
spacey beats and big (sub) basslines, the vocal hook. delicious piano-driven dub sounds.
‘The Deep’ cruises at lower altitude, Questionmarq’s rambling, laidback mix
flanked by bleepy bits and fussy
*****
of ‘Midnight Sun’ completes the set. Dancefloor destroyer!
percussion, while ‘She’ paints a prettier Backroom Sounds
picture with softer tones and melodic Dark night
*** *
flourishes.
Tempogroove
Darryl D’Bonneau
Rocco
*****
Cool, deep tech-soul sounds with a Don’t Turn Your Back On me
slightly overcooked spoken word vocal
Jellybean Soul
RoDamaal
D. Ramirez & Dirty but a decent spread of mixes including Darryl’s distinctive high-camp vocal Osunlade
South ‘Audiowhores’ Dark Room Remix’, a style may be an acquired taste but momma’s Groove (Jimpster mix)
shield bouncy ‘Souldynamic Mix’ and a lighter there’s no doubting the quality of the
Strictly Rhythm
Azuli
touch from Beaten Soul. production here, as Marlon D and “When one of the best Afrodeep producers, Osunlade, is
It’s not immediately clear what’s what, George Mena throw down an energetic remixed by the don of deep house producers, the result is
or rather what’s who, on this
*** *
set of uplifting beats stuffed with total destruction on the dancefloor. ‘Momma’s Groove’,
collaboration between the Steel City Klement Bonelli horns, strings and funky basslines to performed by the producer himself, is an
man and the Aussie, but the mist soon Revival accompany the vocal gymnastics. Seven absolute monster revisited by Jimpster, who does a deep
clears as the uncompromising thudding
Code Red
Marlon and Mena mixes to choose from but strong mix.
beats typical of a D. Ramirez tune allow The ‘Nocturnal’ man resurfaces on Code is slight overkill given the lack of “These solid beats will take you somewhere, especially
in a certain deftness of hook familiar Red with this tense, muscular variation in style that finally comes in when you hear the groove and bassline mixed on the
from Dirty South’s recent work. That’s instrumental groove. A heavily reverbed the shape of Hex Hector’s more soundsystem. The short techy synths laced with drum FX
about the size of it and there’s a certain one-note keyboard pattern is the bombastic but still mostly musical take it to another dimension, while the rearranged
majesty to the simplicity at work. D. leading motif and with little other than beats. trumpet keeps the soul vibe. A bullet for your set.”
Ramirez’s mix takes it a little grungier one or two sundry sounds and effects as
*** *
190
www.djmag.com
DJ467.house.indd 190 2/10/08 14:34:41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259