Got a couple more records since the last post….
First up is the “Music For A Saturday Evening” album by BSTC on All Natural Inc., usually a hip-hop label but this time delivering awesome live soulful house. I have to give the credit to this selection to Kai Alcé who dropped “Love It” on his ill mix for us last year. But really, this whole album is dope. I have no idea if it’s because this label is kind of obscure for dance music heads, but every soulful house head should be copping this record. It kinda reminds me of Tortured Soul but with horns and possibly better songs. Very dope.
Demis Roussos (of “L.O.V.E. Got A Hold Of Me” fame) has a new album out, and the lead single “Love Is” is a funky disco-style banger. Flipping the typical dance rythm on its head, the snare drum drives the track on each beat, while the chorus vocals take the melody over the top. Judging from the soundsamples of the original, Krivit beefs up the drums and puts the vocal front and center. This may be a bit of a turnoff for many, as Demis’ vocal style is pretty distinctive and odd, but the piano and uplifting lyrics describing love make this a prime end-of-party anthem, total hands in the air business.
I finally got a copy of an import jam that’s been killing me since I heard it on Youtube months ago, Floating Points’ “Love Me Like This”. Jacking a loop from Real to Reel’s dope boogie jam of the same name, Floating Points add some fat synths and a healthy dose of repetition to create a storming deep house jam. This is definitely top 10 of ’09 business right here.
After seeing it kill dancefloors while on vacation in Chicago and again multiple times over DEMF weekend, I had to pick up Afefe Iku’s “Mirror Dance” on Yoruba Records. I’m not sure when exactly this came out (Discogs says December 08, though I am sure it’s been around longer), but this is pretty much as ridiculously anthemic as deep house gets and will forever remind me of spring and early summer 2009 when I saw it do damage. This track is simplicity at its best: a tribal drum loop, a synth chord, a repeating vocal, and of course the infectious marimba melody is all it takes to crush a dancefloor. While catching up on my Osunlade related records (Yeah, my bad for forgetting about you, man! Your DEMF set reminded me why I love your records, BIG TIME), I also grabbed “I Don’t Know” which is another deep vocal jam from the man.
Pittsburgh band Zombi wised up and rereleased their difficult to find Carpenter-esque dance jam “Sapphire” on the Throne of Blood label. The original is definitely the one for the cosmic, techno and italo heads, while the new remix by Escort kills it in more of a disco style. Speaking of Escort, does anyone have any idea what happened to them? It’s been over two years since their last single, and about the same since the ridiculously anthemic remix of Tracey Thorn. I’ve basically hammered everything they’ve done in my sets, but I WANT MORE.
This past weekend I dug up an extremely fresh album, “Heart of the City” by Barrabas. I’m quite familiar with their classic “Woman” as well as “Checkmate” from this album, but basically every track on here is a dope latin-funk dance joint. It’s so good that you can just play the whole thing through, I highly reccomend this one.
An update on the Disco Nihilist record for those interested: I am basically out of white label copies. The artwork is being finalized this week and the officical pressing will be dropping shortly thereafter. If you REALLY want a white label, I think we have 3 left at the shop I work at. You can order here, though due to insane shipping costs I reccomend this mostly for cats in the US or Canada.
12 Comments
The “Mirror Dance” joint’s marimba tatoo (I don’t even think it qualifies as a melody) is the sort of simplicity I can only hope I’m able to come up with someday.
It reminds me a bit of DJ Mustava’s “Township Funk” which is also a dancefloor devestator, even though it is simple beyond simple. And there are 7 zillion Township Funk remixes, but the original is the only one I care about. It sounds like it was made with about $100 worth of gear.
Nice one on the BTSC lp, also heard Domu spin Jazz in Outer Space when covering for Benji B on 1xtra, said that Isoul8 put him onto it so must be getting around among DJs.
Floating Points is nice, still catching up on the records being supported on here the last few weeks but one I just picked up that I’m really feelig is Kode 9 – Black Sun influenced by listening to late 90s Nubian Mindz according to an interview in the Wire.
By chance I spotted Mike Huckaby on the remix for Home Wreckers, two mixes plus the Home Wreckers own tracks are pretty good too.
Couple people never heard of before but I’m also feeling both the Brawther – Endless EP and Aphrodisiax – Unfinished Business EP.
Damn right about that Floating Points twelve, Mr Cox! Three killer cuts right there.
edit: BSTC even, maybe thats why they are largely unknown :d maybe a bigger label like BBE can help All Natural Inc give em a push this side of the Atlantic in future.
New Floating Points track ‘Vacuum Boogie’ drops soon, great record.
the floating points is huge, hadnt heard of it untill i got tipped onto it in plugd records here, subsequently looked it up and boomkat told me that if i hadnt heard the hype then i must be living under a rock, fack you boomkat, im just glad i picked it up!
i though mirror dance must have been out for a long time aswell, have heard it in so many mixes over the last year but have yet to see it in any record shop?or havnt ordered it from anywhere, whats up with that?must get it soon though, its too good.
I have been poking through Floating Points’ back catalog and that guy is bananas. Thanks for the tip!
That BSTC record makes Tortured Soul sound like Huey Lewis & the News.
First it was Phil Collins, now it’s Huey Lewis. What next, Whitney Houston? ISM readers need to become American Psycho readers….
wait, did somebody else compare tortured soul to phil collins? man, all i know is that their performance at DEMF in 06 was corny as hell.
disregard last comment, found the post. man, i don’t have any problems with phil collins that’s for sure, and i really don’t even dislike huey lewis. i was reaching, i guess.
Floating Points – yeah, woah. that’s nice.