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Early Chicago house from Krush - not the bearded Japanese minimal hip-hopper, this is the Krush who bought us the classic 'House Arrest' on Mercury/Club in '87. I'm posting B-side track 'Jack's Back'. The classic jackin' 909 groove set off against Balearic/cosmic synths and a pitched choral hit make this one a winner for me.
Krush - Jack's Back
Krush on Discogs
I've just finished a remix for Brazilian label Rainbow Socks, based in São Paulo, for an upcoming EP from 3am (label owner and producer Pejota) which will be seeing a digital release in the near future. The EP will include two 3am originals with remixes, one remix from me and the other from Rio based producer Pedro Zopelar, who was kind enough to send me a bunch of tracks this morning. I've already been dropping his massive 3am remix for several weeks now (be sure to check it when the EP drops) and his other edits and productions do not disappoint. Here he flips a Jorje Ben record into a percussive house workout with an old shcool feel. Also check his original productions on Mister Mistery.
Zopelar - Umbabaraumba
Zopelar on MySpace
Rainbow Socks Records on MySpace
Apologies for the recent absence, I've just started a new job and been away over the bank holiday, so found little time to post.
Here's a big track I used to play at Likwid in Bahrain years ago (my first DJ gig and residency!). I came across it via my good friend and sometime mentor Mr K who not only runs Likwid but is also a DJ with some serious skills and impeccable taste. More than that, he was arguably among the most fundamental heads to bring dance music to the Middle East, taking the first brave steps away from a strictly pop oriented scene and bringing top American and European DJs to play in Bahrain and Dubai. These days there is a strong dance music scene across the Gulf, with a new generation of Middle Eastern house and techno producers growing by the day. The killer Derrick Carter (pictured above) remix of Blaze's 'My Beat' from '99 instantly brings back memories of those early days for me, and I think it still works just as well today as it did back then.
Blaze - My Beat (Derrick Carter's Disco Circus Mix)
Blaze on Discogs
Early doors disco house from Das Volt, off the 'Gestures EP', with a bouncy analogue bass and some great instrumental details. The B-side, 'Fantasy' is even better in my opinion. Check it out at Juno, and be sure to grab a copy when it comes back in stock!
Das Volt - Gestures (original mix)
Das Volt on Discogs
Photograph by pencrush
Following up from the Bangalter post, here's my pick from Daft Punk's other half, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, working alongside Eric Chedeville here as Le Knight Club. Together they created the Crydamoure label in 1997, launching a string of releases from their own Le Knight Club outfit and other guest artists including DJ Sneak, Play Paul (Guy-Manuel's brother) and Deelat. Taking short loops from disco records, chopping them up and heavily processing them into a house context, their style (aided by the success of Daft Punk's 'Homework' and the overnight classic 'Music Sounds Better with You' on Roulé) influenced dance music across the board throughout the late 90s and early 00s. From US house releases to pop hits, many of the derivative strands of 'filtered disco' come across as watered down, with slick production and played-out loops. On the contrary, the simplicity and raw energy heard on the records which came out of the local Parisian scene from 1997-2001 (only a handful, mainly on the Crydamoure and Roulé labels) reflect the vibrance and energy of any local underground dance music scene in its early, and perhaps most innocent stages.
Le Knight Club - Coco Girlz
Le Knight Club - Mosquito
Le Knight Club - Nymphae Song
Crydamoure on Discogs
One of my heroes from my house days: DJ Sneak. With his trademark chunky Chicago jackin beats and long filter sweeps Sneak created a sound all of his own, and his special hypnotic brand of house music trancended the boundaries of the Chicago scene and crossed over on to both the San Francisco and New York dancefloors. This is one of my favourite Sneak jams, the B-side to 'Smokey Hill Street' released on his own Magnetic label in 2001. Analog stabs drive along a crispy Chi-town beat, paving the way for the loopy bassline, all churned through the unmistakeable band-pass sweeps. It's quite fast at 130bpm, and I'd definitely play it out much slower, but still - sounds wickedy.
DJ Sneak - Wickedy Sounds
DJ Sneak on Discogs
Photograph looking up the Sears Tower, Chicago by lydiabullockphoto.
The title track from Swirl People's 'Special Combo' LP released in 2004. Boogie-meets-house-meets-disco with a hint of afrobeat.
Swirl People - Special Combo
Swirl People on Discogs
