From: Jon Freer (jon-freer_at_excite.com)
Date: 2005-07-06 00:14:57
Jon Freer’s Reviews, 5th July 2005.
Single selection:
Jon Cutler & Michael Watford – Watcha Gonna Do? (MN2S)
Rhythmic Deep Presents Interpretations: Dream On (Rhythmic Deep)
Aaron Jerome – Man Troubles (Wah Wah 45s)
Fanatix feat. Kele Le Roc – Lesson Learned (Osiris Music)
Kings Of Tomorrow – Another Day (Defected)
Easylifenatural feat. Erik Sumo – Grasshopper (Wah Wah 45s)
Teenage DJ – Disco Best (Disco)
Thievery Corporation feat. Perry Farrell – Revolution Solution (ESL)
V/A – Track By Track Vol 1 (Front Room)
Andy Caldwell – The Waiting Game (Om)
M1 – PTMS (Reinvent Music)
Former Bullies – The World Ended (High Voltage Sounds)
Thanks to Nicky & Jo at Phuture Trax, Appleworx Distribution, Dom and Simon at Wah Wah 45s, Sarah at Favouritizm, Greg Wilson, Anton at Trailer Media, Graeme at Cause & Effect PR, Gareth and Charles at Om, All at Reinvent Music and Paul Allen for these…
Jon Cutler & Michael Watford – Watcha Gonna Do? (MN2S)
Cat No: MN2S027. Promo.
This straight-talking vocal outing from Cutler and Watford is God-fearing House of the tallest order. Watford’s uplifting vocals stride forward on a magic carpet made of pressing synths, romantic keys and tingling strings. The ‘Kings Of Soul Mix’ is a more ostentatious interpretation, where flawless piano keys hold the listener’s attention, whilst the ‘Reel Soul Mix’ sees the bass purr under the watchful ear of some beautiful keys.
Rhythmic Deep Presents Interpretations: Dream On (Rhythmic Deep)
Cat No: RD-003. Available Now.
London based, but Detroit gazing in terms of output, here June Lopez’s starry-eyed “Dream On” gets re-rubbed by John Beltran and the Napi Hedz, a trio consisting of Reggie Dokes, Piranhahead and Craig Huckaby. Beltran’s revision is a stirring teched-up outing, with manic synths, rattling chords and nervous drums. The ‘Jazz Journey’ from the Napi Hez is an equally inspiring vision, where somber drums and motherly keys make a bed for abstract vocal touches and downcast strings to lie in.
Aaron Jerome – Man Troubles (Wah Wah 45s)
Cat No: WAH12006. Available Now.
Not a musical narrative concerning a certain type of dysfunction, “Man Troubles” is a respectful tribute to the music of Mark ‘Troubleman’ Pritchard, a global communicating broken beat master and former Jedi Knight, until his musical partner lost it and left the planet for another universe. “Man Troubles” combines computerised synths, focused keys and tight drums in a way that shows admiration for Pritchard’s music, but thankfully isn’t just a carbon copy of a Troubleman record. “Jelabi” watches synths come out of the darkness, where they’re joined by creepy keys, meek guitars and a messy bass.
Fanatix feat. Kele Le Roc – Lesson Learned (Osiris Music)
Cat No: OSI 006. Release Date: 25th July 2005.
Ms. Le Roc gives the ‘soul’ful House crew a real song in the form of this number, which suggests that recovering from a painful situation can only make you stronger. Jumping beats, silky keys and velvety guitars back Kele’s aggrieved words on the vocal version. A grimy bass, slammed beats and outer-planetary synths meet on the Dub.
Kings Of Tomorrow – Another Day (Defected)
Available Now.
Easily the finest offering on Sandy Rivera’s recent LP for Defected, the sweet “Another Day” finally gets a deserved single outing. A heart-warming bass, serene chords and marching beats hold up the hurt vocals on the original version. Fred Everything tightens the screws on his remix, where the synths morph continually and vocals are FXed nicely. The Fanatix version sees keyboards make eyes with flexing synths, over stealthy bass action and simple beats.
Easylifenatural feat. Erik Sumo – Grasshopper (Wah Wah 45s)
Cat No: WAH7009. Available Now.
Hmm, cheeky jazzed out funkiness is the flavour of this outing from the upbeat Easylifenatural crew. The original lets a train type intro steamroll a free path for dancing percussion to throw all types of crazy shapes and brass to twist and turn in a bizarre fashion. Nostalgia 77’s Remix throws a blues spinning guitar and gas-induced laughing over rotund brass.
Teenage DJ – Disco Best (Disco)
Cat No: TD001. Promo.
The pioneering Greg Wilson goes all disocey on us, with this quadruple serving of sure-fire crowd movers. “I Was A Teenage DJ Part 1 (Extended)” places relentless guitars and eye-raising flutes over soldiering drums. “Time And Place (Disco Break)” sees cosmic synths and jolting keys add garnishing to a track whose strength comes from its rather familiar bassline. “Glorious” is a stop-start filtered number that is reminiscent of many a house affair put together by gallic disco ransackers, whilst “‘Tis Better To Have Loved And Lost Than Never To Have Loved At All” induces a positive feeling from its lovely guitar and keys combo.
Thievery Corporation feat. Perry Farrell – Revolution Solution (ESL)
Cat No: ESL 082. Available Now.
Hot on the heels of the rather special “The Heart’s A Lonely Hunter”, The Corp give this radical number a single outing. It doesn’t quite reach the standard set by the previous 12”, however, the tabla reinforced percussion, thoughtful keys and delving filtrated bass do make for an impressive combination. Brendan Lynch’s revision smacks the drums, as throat-squeezing guitars complain to happy keys.
V/A – Track By Track Vol 1 (Front Room)
Cat No: FRM 012. Release Date: July 2005.
Seems like it’s business as usual for the Front Room camp, except that on this release, it’s not just one artist in the spotlight, but a host of tracky house purveyors. Jesse Rose gives Jamie Anderson’s “Back Then” the determined jacked-up House treatment on a pair of revisions, where moody bass action and puking synths do the damage. Henrik Schwarz’s previously unreleased Dub of Induceve’s “Time To Begin” is a lightweight percussive effort with odd key hits, as Lee Mortimer finishes off the EP with “Lilly”, a concertina’d synthy effort.
Andy Caldwell – The Waiting Game (Om)
Cat No: OM172SV. Release Date: 18th July 2005.
Caldwell goes all digital on this analogue bass fuelled groover, which is fine as a dance-inducing tool, but isn’t anywhere near as god-damn essential as “I Can’t Wait”, his finest single to date. Affirmative vocals and sweet smelling strings coat the analogue grooves of the original, whilst a heavy bass and wavy synths dominate Ronan’s ‘Deeply Moody Remix’. Caldwell’s Dub employs strings and vocodered vocals from the Kraftwerk school of thought, as keys smile and synths attempt to apply the pressure.
M1 – PTMS (Reinvent Music)
Available Now.
A world away from M1’s previous output for Jinxx, Porn Tech Money Sex is a frankly demented take on the electroid house sound. An abrasive bassline, rude robotic vocals, screeching synths and an unhealthy dose of acid create a dangerous concoction on the title track. “Acid The Phenomenom” is a mass of psychotropic hallucinogens, guaranteed to trip out even the most grounded of listeners. Not for the faint hearted!!!
Former Bullies – The World Ended (High Voltage Sounds)
Cat No: HV07-003. Available Now.
This pair doesn’t sound like they’ve ever been the type of guys to beat people up for their lunch money or intimidate the weaker kids. Even on the bad-tempered “Chorley Cemetry”, which shows the Bullies hate for their hometown, the gruff bass and unchecked guitar and drum combination doesn’t suggest they’re mindless thugs. In fact, the rusticly guitarred “The World Ended”, and the awe-inspiring “I Don’t Know What You Want Me To Do”, a song where placating guitars try to calm the confused vocals, suggest that the Bullies are just a pair of romantics, who’d rather make friends than poke fun at people.
Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_gmail.com)
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