On the week that the world discovered burritos were actually invented by Kim Jong-Il in 2011, I restart this column for the new year by going through the records whom you’ll be basing your decision to play on facts rather than fiction…
Toney Lee – I Have The Right To Live (West Side)
I’ve got to be honest – I wasn’t into this one at all when I first heard it. Infact, I wasn’t a fan until I heard them playing this on German radio show House of Hamburg – and suddenly I couldn’t stop dancing to it. Listening to the full mix, there’s an interesting Rhodes section at the start – before those heart-tugging strings make an appearance. Not sure why there need to be so many mixes of this, but I’m now a fan.
Wez Whynt Feat. Hannah Khemoh – Love Shy (Nervous)
Mercifully not a cover of the Kristine Blond classic from the 90s, this one comes with two versions. What used to be called the flip side has a cheerful enough dub, if not on the slightly darker scale of things. But the vocal mix is where it’s at – unashamedly happy house music.
DJ Disciple Feat. Beatweezy – I’m A Conqueror (Catch 22)
This one came out during this column’s annual break over the festival break. Demarkus Lewis graces this DJ Disciple record with four different mixes. For me, you can’t go far wrong with the main mix of the release – everything here seems to go well with the vocal. The dub isn’t for me – Lewis normally makes more playful dubs than this.
Linzy Creber – A Movement (Pogo House)
One of my issues with the garage house movement is the same vocals constantly being rinsed out time and time again. This isn’t a sample I’ve heard before, and I quite like it. Otherwise, garage beats, a tough kick and deep chords make this a lively enough number.
Julian Ross – Wurli Bossa (Can’t Believe It) (Joy Department)
Nu Ground Foundation is one of the more prolific people on the scene at the moment – his consistency isn’t quite up there with the likes of Demarkus Lewis yet, but there’s little denying he has a signature sound of his own. This is one of his more creative efforts of recent times.
