Somehow October passed us by without a new post, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Before I get to all the new heat, I have some info about other goings on. My co-conspirator Jwan Allen and I have a new web radio show about to begin on Universal Rhythms Radio. They have a very nice selection of DJs over there and we are happy to add a little of that Pittsburgh perspective to the mix. Our show is called What We Do and the first episode is Wednesday evening November 17, 9-11pm UK time, 4-6PM Pgh time. It will happen every four weeks after that moving forward. Shouts to Vinnie and Dean for the opportunity.
And as the flyer at the top of the post shows, we will be celebrating this new radio show with a party at Spirit in Lawrenceville. We will be doing what we do for five hours, and you can feel confident you will hear many if not all of the records mentioned in the rest of this post. Really looking forward to this one, I hope to see all my people out at the club.
Moving on to the music…
LeRon Carson – Under the Conditions – Sound Signature 2xLP
Theo Parrish – “In Motion/Don’t Play” – Sound Signature 12”
LeRon Carson is an artist whose catalog of released music has been almost absurdly consistent. As his jams have dripped out of the Sound Signature camp since his first split with Theo in 2001, we have been able to see more of the scope of what he was doing all the way back in the late 80s. “China Trax” (from the 1987 EP) was an ultra raw and minimal jacking Chicago track, and most of what came after added more colorful and melancholic synth work to that palette, always maintaining that old school cassette tape feel. On this new album, the tape hiss is still a constant but his production style adds sampling to the equation. Recorded between 1988-89, these cuts feel like a distillation of what Ron Hardy and other Chicago DJs were doing at the time, mashing up beat tracks, synths, and disco classics into the pure essence of house music.
In fact, this album captures that short moment in house history as well if not better than any record released at the time. There is not a lot of complexity in the tracks, but each one is a mainlined shot of emotion, squeezing every last drop out of the basic sounding equipment. This sounds like the work of a person obsessed with the then new sounds, and doing whatever it took to become a part of that movement. Despite being produced with electronic equipment, this music still feels handcrafted and homemade in the best possible way. I could sit here and pick standout tracks for the dancefloor (“Baby Said To Me”!), but after many repeat listens I think it works best listened to as an album of tripped out repetitive tracks, like Dance Mania remixed by Basic Channel. Essential roots house music. And a side note: the double CD edition contains all of his previous Sound Signature releases plus an additional cut not released anywhere else.
Theo Parrish’s solo music really stands on its own, with nothing needed to understand it other than letting the rhythm and textures grab you and make you move. But when it is released so closely to the LeRon Carson, it is easy to see what Theo does now as a natural evolution of that raw Chicago track style. There’s no tape hiss, but the rough rhythms and the way it is all mixed and arranged together brings out an energy that much modern house music doesn’t even attempt. The loose vocals on “Don’t Play” juxtapose nicely with the mechanical rhythms and is the standout on this record for me.
Carlos Sanchez Movement – Grace EP – Sacred Rhythm 12”
Carlos Sanchez passed away earlier this year, leaving behind a long legacy in NYC’s house community. Thankfully he also leaves us with this absolutely incredible EP, one that can only leave us wondering what might have been. The biggest jam here is “Wisdom” featuring Gregory Porter on vocals, a soulful house cut of the highest order. Piano, organ, and strings all add to the dramatic delivery by Porter, sure to be a dancefloor favorite for many years to come. Equally stunning is “All I Want”, which appears to be a remix of Bobby McFerrin. This ain’t “Don’t Worry Be Happy”; instead it is a deep house cut that merges Bobby’s vocals into the genre so perfectly that it seems like this must be the original version. The B2 jam “Come Down In Time” is a cover of Elton John with Kenny Lattimore on vocals and synths by the also recently deceased Boyd Jarvis which puts the final stamp on a fantastic record of exceptionally soulful material.
Various Artists – Inside Pt.2 – Neroli 12”
The second installment of the Volcov-selected Inside compilation 12”s is a strong mini-flex of the depth and breadth of the Neroli family. Domu kicks things off with the downtempo/ambient cut “Point of Entry” which sounds like a continuation of The First Circle compilation from last year. Things take a drastic turn after that, shifting into Heiroglyphic Being’s “Black Hands Sound 63”, a synth heavy banger that is reminiscent of Relief Records’ combination of techno and house. On the flip, Patrick Gibin and Kaidi Tatham continue their boogie influenced take on deep house with the lovely chords of “Don’t Read”. Last but certainly not least, the man EDB returns with Marsha and Alberto Lincetto on “You Bring Me Joy” which is an appropriately ecstatic and jazzy vocal house track. Every one of these cuts is a standout in their musical realm.
Jon Dixon – Detroit Get Down EP – 4evr 4wrd 12”
Jon Dixon is a hot commodity on the underground right now, dropping remixes and EPs for a variety of labels, and appearing on a number of recent compilations as well. In the true Detroit style, he usually saves his best work for his own 4evr 4wrd label, and that is again the case on the Detroit Get Down EP. Jon invites a number of his local friends and allies to help him out with making it a truly Detroit affair, and the hi tech soul contained in the grooves represents the D well. This one doesn’t have a single standout track, rather every cut has something to offer. Moodymann does some spoken vocals and Kasan Belgrave drops a hot sax solo on “On My Own”, while frequent Jon Dixon collaborator Britt Frappier and Ian Fink add vocals and piano respectively on “Words Can’t Express”. Both versions of “Lisbon Nights” bring something different to the table with the minorInvention mix riding with the classic techno chords and Darrius Quince’s edit using live percussions and spaced out synths to create a looser groove.
Claude Young – The Knife EP – NDATL 12”
Claude Young makes his NDATL debut with a record full of grooves that deep house heads will surely appreciate. While house has always been part of Claude’s repertoire, it has been a while since he went for it so completely and here he manages to mix it up with his distinctive production style for a record that really stands out. The synth work is lush, the drums tight and punchy, and the overall feel is not too dissimilar to Mike Huckaby’s My Life With The Wave series in its modern take on classic ideas. My favorite jam here is definitely “The Promenade” whose jazzy finger snaps are tucked away on the B2, but you really can’t go wrong here.
Andrés – Back In The Open – Moods & Grooves 12”
If you’ve been reading my reviews this year, you know I’ve been increasingly feeling Andrés’ new 12” releases again. My very favorite of his was Out In The Open, his first record for Moods & Grooves all the way back in 2002. Following that up almost two decades later could certainly be seen as a risky proposition at best, but somehow Mike Grant’s label has managed to put together an EP that captures the feel of that one perfectly. Dez is not reinventing the wheel here, instead just opting for some of the more beautiful soul sampling cuts of his recent catalog. The only sample I can definitely recognize is Blue Magic’s “Welcome To The Club”, but the filtered vocal bits and live instrumentation that he does best add to each track a little bit of that old magic. The B2 cut “Revolution” also adds another new dimension to his sound with some lovely broken rhythms. A very fitting sequel to one of my favorite records.
DJ Spinna – Refreaked Vol. 2 – Refreaked 12”
Spinna returns to his Refreaked series of remixes with this absolutely stunning version of Solange’s “Down With The Clique”. The only person more lethal with a good vocal than Spinna these days is Kai, but it’s getting to be a close contest. Top notch bassline, synths, and keys come together perfectly with the vocals to craft a no-doubt anthem. We closed out our first Universal Rhythms radio show with this.
Various Artists – Unity Vol 1 – Upstairs Asylum 2xLP
Various Artists – Unity Vol 2 – Upstairs Asylum 2xLP
Norm Talley is out to take over the Detroit compilation game, having already worked with Delano Smith and Rick Wilhite on Parabellum earlier this year before now dropping this two part joint on his Upstairs Asylum label. As you might expect, there is a ton of good material here. Part 1 is a bit more on the housey side, while Part 2 caters to a bit tougher of a techno tip. Jon Dixon, Kyle Hall, and Delano all come seriously correct as do most of the other artists included, but the one joint I’ve been most beating to death so far is Mike Clark’s minimal garage killer “In my Arms”. It’s definitely worth the effort to give these records a full listen, there’s a little something for many tastes to be found within.
Omar-S featuring Supercoolwicked – “What’s Good For the Goose” – Fxhe 7”
Omar-S teams up with Detroit neo-soul vocalist Supercoolwicked for this tasty little r&b jam on 7” single. The beat is just a sample loop with some nice drums, but that’s all it needs to be since Supercoolwicked makes the rest happen with her voice and songwriting. On the flip, the Dub Mix adds some delay and some drop outs of the main loop but keeps most of the vocals and is the more adventurous sounding version because of it.
Risqué III – “Essence Of A Dream/Risqué Madness” – Dark Entries 12”
You already know I’m not big on reissues, but “Essence of a Dream” is one of my all time favorite Chicago house jams and an original has been eluding me for many years. Thankfully Dark Entries has done a good job on the reissue, with the tracks sounding deep and clear and the sleeve showing off some cool photos from the era that hadn’t previously been published. Simple, and efficient.
Scott Grooves – Always 001 (Black) – Natural MIDI 7”
The third of Scott’s series of dubby techno on single sided 7” is out in the world, and it is another little taste of what makes Mr. Grooves one of the most consistent dance music producers of the last few decades. This one is all about the melodic synth bassline that snakes around the heavy drums, with the dubbed out atmospherics falling around it like snowflakes. With previous editions focusing more on chord stabs or thick pads, it
feels like these were meant to be mixed together with each other.
Patrice Scott – For My People – Sistrum 12”
Patrice’s recent forays into more overt jazziness have given us some of the best moments in his catalog. On this EP, it sounds as if he decided to mix up that current style with his original synth-heavy deep house sound, and the results end up sounding like they could be on Kyle Hall’s Forget The Clock label. The electric piano and off kilter rhythms of “Abstract Jazz” make for my choice cut, but this is one that will see all four jams played out by many DJs.