July 11, 2004
It's not a problem that I can't fix, coz' I can do it… IN DA MIX ISSUE≠62
HOUSE, GARAGE & OTHER ILLICIT GROOVES
Everything comes to an end with this very last issue of In Da Mix B4 some fairly well deserved break and the good news is that we have once more tons of wonderful stuff to satisfy your appetite with an ultimate selection of true gems before we leave.
Amongst this year's favourites during the Winter Music Conference, "Love Is On The Way" is finally to have an official release in the days to come. One of those positive messages as we like here at IDMW.com which happens to be our current single of the week after weeks and weeks on our tennerz seing the association between more than ever (quality) purveyors Louie Vega and Blaze for the very best once more (Vega Records), both of'em never ceasing reaching nu heights on their owns these days. Mostly remembered for her "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" classic back in the days, soul diva Patti Labelle returns with a monster groove - "New Day" - receiving some remix treatment by… Louie Vega which aptly looks to stand as one of his best work to date, added with alternative versions from srs Quentin Harris and Darryl James both in a very classy way (Def Soul Classics). Elsewhere, he adds some deep mood revamping the soulful & classy "The World" for Sterling Ensemble featuring Juliet Moshea (MAW) staying true to the original craziness of the latin jazzy "La Descarga Del Bobo" that he and his partner (Kenny Dope) have retouched for Willie Bobo (Verve). Meanwhile, on the "opposite corner", Blaze have some other crazy remix commitment on Lonesome Echo Production's newie "Sweet Dream" featuring Byron Stingily, to be released on July 12 on Brighton label Disorient.
Open minded as ever, Joe Claussell delivers another experimentation of his own on the Far East territory on the footsteps of his reworks for Nitin Sawhney while covering Ustad Sultan Khan's "Sayaji" on a very subtle and emotional deep trancey vein (5 Points). A cut that UK based DJ Pathaan should no doubt jump on on some forthcoming selection of his own. Back to France for a couple of gigs succesively at Toulon's Sunslice Festival then at La Villa La Grange on the Atlantic Coast, Kerri Chandler has his new thing for Linda (of Downton 161 label) now available on the label of the name and would suggest you to have a careful listen to the seducive phonkyabstract "The Phone Call". And he's also responsible with Jerome Sydenham of the unmissable deep'n'moody "Rising The Sun" as a part of the DJ Tools vol.4 on Ibadan.
In the meantime, Wave Music has to be really thanked for delivering the shiny discophonky "Get You" by DJ Romain presents Soul City featuring Danil to get us on the right mood. Ooooh, I love this, man. Another man prooving once more that he's amongst the emerging forces being Detroit born Quentin Harris joining talents with nu vocalist Cordell McClary on the magnetic "Traveling", somehow closer to the so called nu soul than house strictly speaking (Space Kat). And the same thing should be said about Steal Vybe with their recent 4 tracker called Dance 4 Life EP, as most particularily demonstrated on the intimate deep'N'jazzy "After Hours" performed by vocalist Stephanie Renee (Steal Vybe). Meanwhile, NYC new label Primal Groove headz of Anthony Zalez and Frank Estevez are responsible of two of the most underrated gems of these last weeks - which happen to be the 2 first releases on their label - with Dee Holloway's "Say It" and its follow up from Danielle, "I Know You Love Me" which, given a better exposure, could well make a buzz in a similar friendly vein to DJ Oji & Una's "Nobody" on West End Records.
As a matter of fact Oji's got a new cut, this time on King Street and wiith Carolyn Victorian called "He's My DJ" and there's definitely something on it. Meanwhile his partner DJ Pope provides some solid and unmissable groove to Lynette Smith's "Everything Must Change" for Slaag Records.
Released at the end of last year on Large, Glenn Underground's "Trust" gets a new life on a 10" format including amongst others the Calypso remix which really adds to the magnetism of the song.
On some very far territory symbolizing what to us are the other illicit grooves on this column, Wave Music label new offshot Deep Space, bring us the lazy and deep dubby "New Dawn" by South African born Brendon Moeller aka Beat Pharmacy. Illicit grooves is also what comes first in mind when talking about Kenny Dixon Jr stuff. No image, no artifice, nothing but the essence-ial as shown on his "Salvador de Bahia" 12" on some latin vibes dubbed with the ultra phonkkiller "Last Call For Alcohol" and the discophonk'N'abstractjazzy "Express". Simplicity as expected from the true talents (Mahogani Music).
On a slightly more conventional way, Todd Gardner gives life to his own label with the deep'n'jazzy "You're My DJ" featuring some subtle interpretation from Gynisse Way adding muxh intimacy to this effort (Certified Organik). If into classy cool house Seek "Evereafter" reinterpretations by German label GoGo Music team could well fit your expectations as most notoriously demonstrated by Ralph GUM & CrisP and Swiss DJ Roberto De Carlo, not that far away from the Naked vibes. Could well be, in that same cool classy vein, that the revamp of Cerrone's disco classic "You Are The One" featuring Jocelyn Brown with Jamie Lewis remixing it reaches the same status as the original released 3 decades ago (Purple Music). Meanwhile French singer Hanna Haisteams up with Austrian producer Sergio Flores of 7th District on the latin flavoured "Rosa Nova" (Atal). If in search for Paulo Rocha's "Dreamwalker" released 3 years ago on Black Vinyl, your expectations will now be fullfiled with its re-edition as a part of the Re:Cuts Volume 5 3 tracker for the label. A good slice of atmospheric thin house dubbed with extra cuts from David Penn and some much awaited unreleased vocal version of their "Fever Tension" really worth to listen.
That's it for now.
See ya in September folks, MFSB
IDM TENNERZ
PATTI LABELLE New Day - Louie Vega Dance Ritual Club Mix (Def Soul Classics)
KENNY DIXON Jr Last Call For Alcohol/Express (Mahogani Music)
LOUIE VEGA featuring BLAZE Love Is On The Way - Dance Ritual Club Mix (Vega Records)
STEAL VYBE After Hours (Steal Vybe Music)
DANIELLE I Know You Love Me (Primal Groove)
QUENTIN HARRIS presents CORDELL McCLARY Traveling (Space Kat)
DJ ROMAIN presents SOUL CITY featuring DANIL Get You (Wave)
LYNETTE SMITH Everything Must Change (Slaag)
GLENN UNDERGROUND Trust - Calypso Mix (Large)
JOE CLAUSSELL Sayaji (5 points)
July 4, 2004
It's not a problem that I can't fix, coz' I can do it… IN DA MIX ISSUE≠61
Nu Groove columnist, Irie is back in full effect this week with a brand new selection of his, but is this really and solely nu groove ? Who cares at the end of the day, as long as it's groove and that groove is definitely baaad, should it be the work of vets (like the Isley Brothers) as of the newest generation !!! Welcome to the land of the good groove, would say Chic founder member, Nile Rodgers who's awaited this month at the Nice Jazz Festival. Welcome to our issue # 61...
NU GROOVE (SOUL, JAZZ, BREAKS, BROKEN BEATS + MORE…)
Touted by many as THE artist like no one else, Stevie Wonder's heritage never ceases inspiring the new generations from a decade to the following one. One of the most evocative examples being given with the famous The Wonder Of Stevie series displaying the consistency of his instrumental works, as shown by the likes of DJ Spinna and Bobbito on Harmless label. Issue 2, called Melody Man focuses on his upbringing as a composer for other artists + a few relatively unknown cover versions of his gigantic repertoire, pointing out the finger on the emphasis that's been a big part of his magic touch. If not familiar with these timeless soulful tunes like Minnie Ripperton's deliciously sung "Perfect Angel", the blazing "Bring Your Sweet Stuff Here To Me" by The Pointer Sisters, or the smart "It's A Shame" by Detroit Spinners later sampled by Monnie Love, then I would suggest you to carefully check this out.
Other people who would get their names on capital letters on the history of soul are the Isley Brothers who've been around for… 5 decades. Not so long ago we would even have some collaboration between them and R&B superstar R.Kelly. This time, we have them on their own via a series of reinterpretations regrouped on an album but also a first 4 track vinyl sampler aptly called "Take Me To The Next Phase (Reinterpretations)" starring Onda featuring Esthero ("Summer Breeze") and also ?uestlove on "That Lady" (Tneck/Epic).
As for the new generation speaking, soul music has still a real future with people like London based Kiwi keyboardist, Marc De Clive-Lowe amongst the very rare pursuing in the tradition of artists like George Duke, Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd while avoiding to sink into some predictable formula from back in the days. The best proof being given by his latest album released in Japan which we can't wait to hear live, judging by its irresistible and joyful energy as shown on his magnificient cover version of John Coltrane's "Naima" or the glorious and emphatic "State Of The Mental" sung by today's diva Bembe Segue.
On a more rooty vein - what we would call modal soul jazz inherited from the 60's as delivered by labels such as Impulse or Strata East, let us mention L.A. based band Build An Ark's Peace With Every Step wonderful collection released on Dutch label Kindred Spirits. A sort of solar record that seems out of the times, looking like displaying a breathe of love and hope along nice cover versions by the likes of vocalist Dwight Trible seeming like some little brother to both Jon Lucien and Leon Thomas. Check out most notoriously Michael White's "The Blessing Song" and Pharoah Saunders "You've Got To Have Freedom" ; the latest awaited with some remix work by Two Banks Of 4.
Not an issue without a word about 4Hero whose half Dego comes up under another pseudonym (Cosmosis) where he collaborates with Domu doing the programmation, guitar player Somatik and Danny Huckridge doin' the bass. Well the boys have a killer broken groove called "The Land Of The Forgotten Dreams Of Zod" on 2000 Black to be followed by a 12" from Spy Music whose real identity remains unknown by the time you're reading this. And couldn't end up this issue neither with our French pal Franck Roger keeping on doing waves with his 12" on Straight Up and BRS labels, not to mention his forthcoming booming CD mix awaited sometime after the summer break. See you then, IRIE
NU GROOVE HOT 10
THE POINTER SISTERS Bring Your Sweet Stuff Home To Me (Harmless)
ISLEY BROTHERS Groove With You - Mos Def Remix (Tneck/Epic)
HIPNOTIC Are You Lonely - Yam Who? re-edit (CD-R)
MARK DE CLIVE-LOWE featuring BEMBE SEGUE State Of The Mental (Columbia-Japan)
VISIONEERS Runnin (Omniverse)
FRANCK ROGER & M’SELLEM featuring CHRIS WONDER Reason (Straight Up)
FRANCK ROGER 4 Da People (BRS)
L’AROYE B The One (Faces)
BUILD AN ARK You've Got To Have Freedom (Kindred Spirits)
DARREN SHREDDER ? (Main Squeeze CD-R)