RE: Will this break 2 step in the US?

From: Philip Sherburne (philip@askjeeves.com)
Date: Thu May 10 2001 - 04:03:31 CEST

  • Next message: Leslie Shill: "Power of Sound - May 9, 2001"

    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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