Another four weeks & something and we’ll be in the position of having a clearer idea as how’s doin’ the worldwide house scene with the yearly Miami gathering. We’ll be there once again offering you an ever consistant coverage this year with the addiction of label manager/DJ/producer Claude Monnet on the list of our representative alongside Michael ‘Spiritofhouse’ Fossati and Olivier Velay.
Still in mind this O’Jays’ classic called ‘I Love Music’ ? Well, I guess you all readers should, but do you really act according to this ? That’s the thema of our Politics Of Dancing section this week. One of the main reasons why music is a universal thing comes from its ability to bless our souls whoever we are and wherever we’re coming from. Not to mention the fact that each makin’ of a piece of music may lead, if not to a new genre, at least to some interesting combination. As an illustration amongst many others, we’ve chosen to tell you the story of US singer Arthur Miles ‘Helping Hand/Trippin’ On Your Love’, a single released in 1990 on FFRR, melting blues with the most modern forms of groove at the period. Meanwhile our latest issue as its title says – 33RPM – gives a display of some of the latest album releases at this precise time.
33 RPM
Almost a month to wait and it’s gonna be the time to celebrate our reunions by the sunny shore of Florida. Think it’s still a long way to run ? Let’s have then a drink at the bar suSu #2 of the likes where you can rest assured of being surrounded by some finely selected aural environment. Not to mention the smart blend, courtesy of UK outfit Notenshun, delivered with an alternative bonus unmixed CD. As a result what we have here is a sparkling innervision of some of the most intimate house cuts recently released from Mr A.L.I.’s ’That Feeling’ to the numerous works or reworks by our hosts on display here, but also contributions from Jody Watley and 280 West in addiction to various remixes courtesy of Jon Cutler, East West Connection, Bobby & Steve, Bah Samba and Phil Asher. Bottoms up!
The next work to come on this month’s selection gives us the opportunity to know a bit more about Bordeaux based long time activist DJ Rico blending Soul & Jazz… In The House on Slip’N’Slide. True to who he is, our good friend finely demonstrates how versatile he his, avoiding the numerous cliches around while mixing different moods and vibes from jazz to soul if not kinda progressive alla King Britt. And this with the necessary in yer face effect when needed as demonstrated by the inclusion of the fluid and disco influenced ‘A Moody Thing’ by Soulato featuring Bernard Harris. Merci amigo (Slip’N’ Slide).
We’re going up North East to Paris with our local Dimitri delivering a new goodie by the likes of the In The House Of Love comp for Defected. An opportunity to remind us the early daze of clubbin’ whereas you was up to listen almost anything whatever it was as long as it was kinda groovy. In other words, this kind of stuff today remembered as all time classics and makin’ the most glorious pages of dance music as a whole. Amongst the finest cuts on display, the underrated ‘All I Want Is You’ by Four Flights, Roger Sanchez doin’ one of his best remixes ever on Incognito’s ’Givin’ It Up’, the laidback & soulful ‘Fire’ by Victor Davis and a beautiful remix by our man of the Philly influenced ‘Down To Lovetown’ by the Originals.
No doubt how influential should have been Serge Gainsbourg on many artists. Quite interesting is that project called Dum Dum by the likes of Vincent Artaud and its visual illustrations by Thierry Guitard quite reminiscent of those 70’s thriller atmospheres. Musically speaking, this album looks a succession of footages driven by spoken words on jazzy grooves really worth the listen (Electric Recordings).
On a more spacey abstract field comes I :Cube’s new offering. If in search of intropsective soundabytes, this new album named Live At The Planetarium is up to bring you to heaven. I hardly can’t help myself loopin’ that cut # 2 on my system, which to me sounds like a reunion between Maurizio and Klaus Schultze over a hypnotic minimal house groove. Trully fascinating (Versatile). An ideal transition leading us to the return of UK electronica vet William Orbit with a new LP entitled Hello Waveforms and its killing opening track called ‘Sea Green’ reaching the heights of absolute beauty. Pfwaow. No doubt the kind of music to touch directly the minds of peeps like Alex Patterson and José Padilla to name but a few and this, from the aforementioned til the very last drop with rare contributions from Finley Quaye and Kenna from the Sugarcubes.
I already can feel some of you wondering : Have they turned electronica ambient here? The response is Nope despite the addiction of extra words concerning Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal who alongside a plethora of guests incl. Bugge Wesseltoft is ready to drop the Vossabrygg album on ECM. The jazzists will recognize here and there the influences of Miles Davis. Meanwhile this collection is another fine piece of ambient delicatesse for the aficionados.
Kinda funny how many people around tend to take some distance as far as the usual 4X4 format is concerned. Another true exemple being given by Germany based DJ/producer Mousse T exploring the many sides of the groove alongside a whole bunch of guests from Roachford to Inaya Day and Emma Lanford to name but a few. Not to mention singer Hanifah Walidah who sounds a bit like Grace Jones. No doubt, judging by its conception, this All Nite Madness album aims to reach the pop market, as his label - Peppermint Jam – looks like havin’ some view on the US rap market while dropping the latest Warren G’s offering called In The Mid-nite Hour. I guess that I’ve always been sensible to what this guy’s been doing since ‘Do You See’ back in the days and it looks like this LP seing him along with his usual peeps (Nate Dogg, Snoop) + a contribution from Raphael Saadiq and a cameo appearence courtesy of Ice Cube has much on offer.
Time to leave you with a first preview of the much awaited new comp by MAW under the Soulheaven banner due to hit the streets on March 27th. Well, you know what ? It’s another… dope testimony of the NY pair as illustrated by the opening cut on Louie’s mix : ‘Holiday’ by Roy Ayers as reworked by Kenny Dope. More about this shortly. Watch this space ! MFSB
33RPM TENNERZ ROY AYERS
Holiday – K-Dope Remix – from Soulheaven (Defected)
WILLIAM ORBIT Sea Green – from Hello Waveforms (Sanctuary)
I:CUBE Track # 2 – from Live At The PLanetarium (Versatile)
SOULATO featuring BERNARD HARRIS A Moody Thing – from Soul & Jazz In The House (Slip’N’Slide)
AWAKENING Take Me Now – Bah Samba Remix – from bar suSU #2 (suSU)
TERJE RYPDAL Hidden Chapter – from Vossabryg (ECM)
FOUR FLIGHTS All I Want Is You – from In The House With Love (Defected)
WARREN G featuring RAPHAEL SAADIQ Walk These Streets – from In The Mid-nite Hour (Peppermint Jam)
DUM DUM Tirer dans les lustres (Electric Recordings)
MOUSSE T with ROACHFORD Sex Has Gone – from All Nite