August 2008

Sasha - "Invol2ver" - Global Underground

This is one of those CD’s my girlfriend will hate. Without a doubt, she will at some point ask me why it sounds like 1 really long song? What she will fail to realize is the time and energy put into making such a smooth flowing mix. In fact, that task was so overwhelming it took the team of Sasha, Barry Jamieson, Leo Leite plus Charles May and Duncan Forbes of the production duo Spooky over 4 years to craft such brilliance. With the help of Ableton Live, they were able to take the production elements from artists like Ladytron and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and reassemble them into a breathtaking DJ set. Standouts for me include Ray La Montagne - “Eclipse” and Apparat - “Arcadia.” This creative use of new technology makes for quite an intense listening experience.

Dave Spoon - "Toolroom Knights" - Toolroom Records

I first listened to this CD with 4 of the most judgmental friends I have as we drove back exhausted from clubbing in NYC. Disc 1 (The Main Room) was packed with a lot of anthems including Spoon’s own productions such as “88” and “Baditude.” It definitely got everyone tapping their feet. Then came disc 2 (The Basement). This was the filthiest music I have heard in quite sometime. Tracks like “Riddim Come 4ward” and “Amnesia” had this early 90’s rave feel to them that made my head want to explode. Before I knew it, everyone in the car had gone from mere foot tapping to an all out dance party. Without this compilation, we might still be fast asleep at a rest area somewhere in Connecticut.

Danny Rampling - "Live and Direct" - Cr2 Records

When you think of a classics CD, most of the time it’s just a new track listing of something you already own with some new artwork. However, with this compilation, it’s nice to see someone not only use actual classics such as the Todd Terry remix of Lolletta Holloway - Love Sensation or Danny Howells & Dick Trevor – Dusk Til’ Dawn, but also some updated versions like the TV Rock & Dirty South remix of Murk – Reach For Me and the Freemasons remake of 808 State - Pacific. With over 2 decades of classics to choose from, this disc is sure to have a little something for everyone. It’s a great listen that definitely will put a smile on your face.