RAWNOÕS RANTINGS HOUSE MUSIC AND CLUB PHILOSOPHY WITH ANDREW RAWNSLEY First up this month we'd like to let all of you know about a particularly ace magazine from the UK called Generator, which covers just about every style of dance music with the depth and humor that we here at XLR8R find not only refreshing, but in a style similar to our own. It might be hard to find, try Tower Records, or failing that you could subscribe. Contact them via 011-44-71-454-7855, or write 4-8 Peartree Street, London EC1V 3SB. After thinking alot about how we want to present our regular music columns IÕve decided to change the format of this page a little to give a better overview of current house releases and, in line with our new reviews section, to give listening suggestions for compilations, older material and essential classic house records that non-DJ music buyers may find of interest. As usual IÕm going to give most emphasis to old school house and garage, but IÕd like to increase the coverage of progressive, as this magazine right now lacks a progressive house column. Anyone out there who may be interested in collaborating on a progressive house section should get in touch, the only requirement being that you know your shit! First up this month is the strange phenomenon known as ACID JAZZ. Not the music, but the marketing concept. Looks like some would-be-hip marketing rep found a new buzzword. IÕve heard several brand new compilations which feature the words ACID JAZZ and alot of the music is actually mellow and jazzy house. House tempo, house grooves, old-school garage vocals. Strange that. Though if youÕre looking for seriously deep jazz-house then check out JAZZ NOT JAZZ-THE REAL DEAL (US NewBreed) or the new EIGHTBALL COMPILATION 2 (US Eightball), both excellent older compilations available on both vinyl and CD. Another sound release is SUMMER MADNESS EP (US King Street Sounds), a five track EP combining deep thumping house and sax driven jazzy grooves. Well worth tracking down. All this would seem to indicate that the borders between different stylistic forms are actually alot more blurred than most record companies would like to admit. LetÕs make those marketing men sweat under the collar! Since I wasnÕt able to do so last issue IÕll launch this month with the best of the last two months releases: the records that you should be checking out. Best new Nervous release for ages is the sublime CLASSIC MAN 93 EP. This three tracker starts with the deep mellow vibe inflected ÒRapid WindsÓ. Purely and simply music of class: the business! The other standout on this release is the classic NY style ÒKeepinÕ OnÓ of which I like the jazzy Classic Mix. best. Top stuff. Dutch label Fresh Fruit has been consistently pressing inventive house records for a while now of which the best recently have been the FRESH TUNES #1 featuring the anthemic ÒDo You Know What I MeanÓ, and the exquisite remixes of SOUTH STREET PLAYER ÒChanging Your MindÓ licensed from Strictly Rhythm. Go straight to the flip Deep Mix....Choon! Probably the most eclectic EP for a long while is John RobinsonÕs MENTAL INSTRUM EP, which effectively combines smooth vocal cuts (ÒEducationÓ, ÒDJÓ) with strange bumping house grooves (ÒMadnessÓ, ÒThe MarchÓ) and one of my top cuts right now the insane remix of ÒBottee RiderÓ with the most extreme vocal performance for quite a long time matched with a viscious grinding groove. Phew! For more straightforward vocal tracks try NUPHONIC ÒNo More HeartacheÓ with Charvoni in fine form; 95 NORTH ÒHanginÕ OnÓ featuring the wonderful Lynn Lockamie, both on King Street Sounds. A few things that have been out for a while that are essential: the twin pack release of SOUND OF ONE ÒAs I AmÓ, with killer mixes from Roger Sanchez (rich piano hands-in-the-air type of stuff) and Farley and Heller (moody, deep and atmospheric in usual Fire Island style) and also the superb gospel-like ÒWeÕre On Our WayÓ by MALIK HART (US Large) who is also featured on MINDREADERS ÒLiving My Life UndergroundÓ (UK Tomato) reissued from DetroitÕs 430 West; BROOKLYN UNDERGROUND ÒGive Me Your LoveÓ (US Bottom Line) featuring uplifting gospel-like vocal performance on one side, hard driving dub mix on the flip, usual Bottom Line quality. Talking of quality thereÕs HENRY ÒOnly You Will DoÓ (US Suburban) licensed from the UKÕs impeccable Centrestage Records, with a top vocal and hard hitting TVMS club mix, or MG ÒOver YouÓ (Can HiBias) a top flight underground vocal cut with slamming dubs especially the intricate counterpoint of the ÒRoyal DubÓ. Ace. ThereÕs a more upfront vocal performance on the superb ÒLoverÓ by JOE ROBERTS (US FFrr) which gets an uplifting piano- driven Northern English club mix from K Klass and a hard driving Pharmacy progressive mix. For a little different sound try ZAW ÒAfrica FreedomÓ (US Playtime) a beautifully tight arrangement and vocal with a tribal tinge and what a piano riff! ThereÕs also the HONI/DÕPAC EP (US Prescription) a strange collection of mixes some produced by the ever reliable Chez Damier, the wonderful swinging groove of ÒJust a FeelingÓ from the SELF CONTROL ÒInitiation EPÓ (Can Toronto Underground) a perfect 5am record, and COTILLION ÒSoft Drinks EPÓ (UK Hubba Hubba ), a refreshing change of direction for the Scottish label combining airy house grooves with melodic synth lines. (Hey lads how about the Vimto EP or Tizer Tracks next time?!!!) Remixes anyone? The Murk boys do a fine job on DSK ÒFeel So FreeÓ (US Jackpot) of which Murkotronic Dub is the one. Fine minimal groove, though IÕm not too keen on the overly poppy vocal mix. MK has been hard at work with odd mixes appearing on all sorts of records including a rather smashing dub mix on THE BROTHERHOOD ÒLove Will Make It RightÓ (US a) which also has unusual bass driven mixes by the prolific Eddie Fowlkes. For MK records proper the MK/Masters at Work Dub on ÒLove ChangesÓ (US Charisma) is pretty damn fine, minimal and atmospheric. DIY have outdone themselves again with new mixes of A MAN CALLED ADAM ÒLove Come DownÓ (UK Other) both the ÒIn Too DeepÓ and ÒLuminousÓ mixes by Digs, Whoosh and Simon prove that the UK underground is capable of matching the work of the top US remixers without resorting to cliched technoid noises or poppy trance elements. Nice one! For those of you who missed them the first time around thereÕs the DIY S4G PROJECT Vol 1 (US Vibe) which just happens to contain one of last years best deep house records ÒWe Can Work It OutÓ now easily available on domestic release so thereÕs no excuse! OK! so whatÕs with the current fad of describing music as TRANCE: a very general term for a very un-general style of music. Stupid term! For godÕs sake just about all house music is trance! ThatÕs one of the natures of the genre. Repetitive loops, freeform structure, all the typical elements of just about every house record have a trance-inducing effect in the right environment. Music works in particular ways according to the listening environment. Given the right conditions (ie: sorted) IÕm sure I could enjoy some of the soul- less bollocks that is alot of ÒtranceÓ, though it would have little to do with music. Who the hell declared that trance records shall all sound like early 70Õs Tangerine Dream records at 150bpm and must include plenty of pseudo ÒForbidden PlanetÓ sounds?. I say lock whoeverÕs responsible in a dark room with PHOTON INC ÒGenerate PowerÓ (US Strictly Rhythm), 331/3 QUEEN ÒSearchinÕÓ (US NuGroove), DJ PIERRE ÒLoveTraxÓ (US Strictly Rhythm) or ROY DAVIS ÒMind PowerÓ (UK Guerilla) all old school trance-inducers without the trendy tag. Just to bring the thing full circle, listen to any old DJ PIERRE Wild Pitch mix next to the X-PRESS 2 records and I think you might hear the influence that Chicago wild pitch tracks have had on the Junior BoyÕs Own crowd and on the whole UK progressive movement in general. For newer house on the harder tip, thereÕs the two new Wildchild releases, 100% WILD EP (US Playtime) and WILDVIBES Vol 1 (US Vibe), both typical of Mr MackenzieÕs very English interpretation of the very American Mr Todd Terry. Cool. Also check out the cheeky ÒCar WashÓ samples in the disco flavored NATIVE PEOPLE ÒBoogie ThingÓ (UK Tom Tom Club) and the down and dirty ÒFunky StuffÓ or ÒYaboÓ from the all round excellent six track MYSTICS PHASES ÒAncestral EPÓ (Can Toronto Underground) all worthy of your attention. ThatÕs it for now, thankfully. Maybe now I can take my tongue out of my cheek for a while. RAWNOÕS FRESH SPRINGTIME STUFF John Robinson presents Mental Instrum - EP - Nottus US Mystic Phases - Ancestral EP - Toronto Underground Can Devastating - U and Me, Me and U - Bottom Line US Man Called Adam - Love Come Down (DIY mixes) - Other UK ODC - Spirit Celebration - Bottom Line US 100% Wild - EP - Playtime US Fellows - Play All Cuts EP Vol 2 - HiBias Can 95 North -HanginÕ On - King Street Sounds US Classic Man 93 - Rapid Winds/KeepinÕ On - Nervous US Moore Grooves Volume 1 - EP - Digital Dungeon US ZAW - Africa Freedom - Playtime US MG - Over You - HiBias Can Nuphonic - No More Heartache - King Street Sounds US Millionaire Hippies - IÕm the Music, Feel Me - Deconstruction UK Eric Morillo - More EP - Strictly Rhythm US