Our House Floorspace Perfecto "Floorspace' is certain DJs idea of techno, but it ain't: there's no funk or attempt to offer anything fresh. The only surprise comes when you expect it to enter an epic hands-in-the-air breakdown, but it surprisingly comes straight back out. Fear not though, two minutes later the epic things happens anyway. It's not even good pop, just functional trance that'll sell by the bucket-load and be played at places like the main room at Cream. Then again that's why Perfecto stuff shifts 100,000 copies while Emissions sell 1,000." 10%
Neotropic Laundrophonic EP N-Tone "I sit at home in Brixton hearing drum & bass, swingbeat, dub and all sorts of peripheral sounds going off in the street: they swim around my head before coming out as snippets of influence in my music. Neotropic sound like that too. It's as if they're holed up in some mad council estate gaff, sticking their heads out the window where cars scream, scaffolding clangs and a mish-mash of music echoes between the blocks. Really moody, atmospheric and fresh. Sure, they're using breakbeats too, but ones that contain real depth and warmth. Not a floor filler, but great for back rooms." 80%
UX Alien Organic Trance Project Swarm "At the risk of sounding like my parents...these Goa records all sound exactly the same! They're formulaic, with pre-set synth sounds. Everthing else gated and clean, with no attempt at funking or fucking anything up. Friends assure me that 'you've gotta hear it on acid Andrew', but I ain't done acid for four years now, and won't ever again. But to be brutal EVERYTHING sounds great on acid: I've spent fab nights listening to my fridge on the stuff and discovered real depth and funk in the noises. Anyway, UX are the last thing I'd want to hear on acid cos they're too frantic and grooveless. I'd go mental." 5%
KCL Project Colours EP Octopus "I remember the original 'Colours' as being a deep housey track, whereas this remix is more downtempo. It still initially sends a bit of a tingle down the spine, but that feeling soon diminishes as it fails to go anywhere. 'Reach Out' rejuvenates the whole EP though, reminding me of Stasis and B12, but with more warmth. After a couple of plays it has the hairs on the back of my neck standing proudly upright. A really cool creeper." 70%
Lippy Lou Liberation More Protein "Record labels often play me their new material, and if I say 'it's shit' they'll smirk and say 'wicked, it'll be a big hit then'. 'Liberation's' a bit like that: I wanted it to be good because it's Boy George's label and I think he's alright, a real pop star, but sadly no. The 'Pussy Dread Knockout' mix has some deep and cool moments, but generally it's a functional and unadventurous record with a fairly average white female toaster vocal in that MC Kinky vein though less gutsy. An MTV Party Zone/euro-club-hit type affair." 15%
Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go - Remixes Epic "I like the backward intro bit, but otherwise these Chemical Brothers remixes are totally predictable to my ears. I just KNEW a big snare roll would happen, then a breakbeat would kick off, with added siren noises...It's such an obvious way to get a reaction, a bit like sneaking up on someone and bursting a balloon behind their head. The Chems are nice chaps, and I hope they don't get the arse, but I just don't happen to appreciate the kind of self-pardoy they're currently into. There's much to appeal to Saturday Socialites here, but for me it's the ugly spectre of indie dance, which I know I'm partly responsible for, but surely a bit dated now." 25%
Jochen Reiter Vs Juregen Drimal Timezone Hollis Haus "Jeff Mills and Basic Channel are the most influential techno producers of the 90s in my book, and their shadow looms large here. Minimal house tracks are difficult to describe because they do fuck all; and this is just a Basic Channel record with little Juno synths and a bit of EQ action; but such stuff has to be heard in the right environment to fully appreciate, and getting it right takes talent. The relentless 'Timezone' qualifies as 'proper' trance, I could listen to a DJ playing this until you'd have to peel me off the ceiling. Right up my strasse." 90%
AKA Warning - Todd Terry Remixes RCA "The slightly helium-sounding vocal suggest that this was originally a swingbeat track that's been given the old Todd Terry once-over, and an average one at that. You can tell it's Todd instantly, and I admire that he's stamped his identity on it, unfortunately it's an identity that fails to twist my mellons. I'm not a swingbeat fan to put it mildly, and even less so of housed-up versions. I could use the 'Bonus Beats' as a mixing tool, but otherwise 'Warning' is a bit too lightweight, skippy and production line for me." 20%
Disco Direction Party Rock Dust "I'm into hard disco-influenced tracks particularly what Discocaine do, and I love Daft Punk and that new Street Corner Symphony release. They're how this discouse, for want of a better word, SHOULD be done. 'Party Rock' is really close, but no cigar. If you're gonna use old disco vibes you've gotta rough them up a bit more than here, it's too clean and smooth sounding. Vaguely usable in the dub mix, but DD probably didn't quite smoke enough to fully capture the vibe that they were after." 50%
Bim Sherman Sold As A Rock Mantra "Adrian Sherwood played this to me in its raw acoustic form two years ago, then it was taken to India where strings were added to the guitars, tablas and vocal to create the most spiritual piece I've ever heard in my life. I was offered a remix but decided that touching something so perfect would be sacrilegious. Remixing can bring it to a wider audience, obviously, and all power to that, but I'd give battle-prod treatment to Steve Osbourne for his pointless efforts which have decimated the original vibe. Stick to the beautiful 'Album Version'." 100% and rising
O'Hare Someone Aspro "The 'Jamez Remix' starts out like a funky trance track, but quickly evolves into an average housey trance thing that fails to grab. Fortunately the 'Bone Machine' is much better; slightly deeper, grainier and funkier; a groovy and relentless mix that's right up my street. It's perfect as a bridging track to move from deeper house stuff into a slightly harder and more techno-oriented set. I'd use it at Blood Sugar, definitely." 70%
Bass Meditation Symbiotic Kinetix "Kinetix have released some really cool stuff, but this slightly disappoints. The 'D-Troit Mix' sounds vaguely Detroit-ish, until a rather obvious bubbly acid line arrives to spoil things. Quite pleasant, but it's neither Detroit-y nor funky enough for me, and a touch dated too. When the acid arrives it's almost Goa-tastic, though a mean and moody form of Goa made by someone on bad acid. Close, but no Gillette." 50%
Sneaker Pimps 6 Underground Clean Up "I'm extremely choosy about the remixes I do, and this "Two Lone Swordsmen Vocal' is one of them. I've really respected what Clean up have been putting out an d so was honoured to be asked. The original mix is OK, if a bit too jolly and Blue Peter badge to suit the well-delivered song with its line that goes 'just because I understand, don't think I care'. We decided that such a message deserved a much deeper and moodier treatment, so basically it's our backing track with just the vocal dropped on. The slinky b-line is lush and extreme, the strings are nice, and there's so much atmosphere. The best thing I've done in ages." 99.9%
Snappy Sid Mr Plane EP Dust "If people need proof that making drum & bass is an art form play them 'How Do You Cope With Fame?', then a Photek record....It starts off kinda cool, hinting that it might get interesting, but when something DOES happen it all goes totally wrong as they sling a big dirty kick-drum underneath messily blending a dated heavy techno tune to the d&b. No, Snappy Sid; aka Paul Thomas & Scanner; won't have to worry about coping with fame just yet, unless they offer 'Payola', a flip-side track which contains the essential depth, warmth, and freshness I prefer." 40%
Balagan Something's Going Wrong Clean Up "The title says it all... There's a really nice double-bass line and vibes, but the poor song arrives in full-on 6th Form lyric mode: 'I switch on my TV, distress is all I see'. Gawd, I used to write such stuff in my rough book at school. The beats seem familiar, and one mix has a dated acidy line, but it could have been made acceptable with a more menacing backing track and a bit of moody-ness. The 'Deep Sleep Mix' of 'Frame Of Mind' saves the day, but not enough. " 25%
Claude Young DJ Kicks K7 "Has Claude Young ever made a duff record? The acid bassline works big time, when it comes in at a club the crowd hoot a holler like crazy. 'DJ Kicks' takes influences from the past; like an old school Chicago flavour, and even a 303; yet turns them into something that so obviously belongs with today. The groove is superb, with quite dark influences, though used in a way that'll have you leaving the dancefloor feeling up rather than down. The timeless quality ensures that it'll stay in my box for months. Love it." 95%
Movement Cro-Acid Four Loaded "Weird. It's from Croatia, where access to new tunes is obviously limited, yet sounds as if it was made in a hi-tech studio. But that's the problem: surely Movement's isolation and lo-tech gear suggests they'd be better off making more fucked-up and hard-edged sounds. Some of the best music is made on shite equipment; take Conemelt on my Emissions label, or Bandulu, whose studio is extremely lo-tech; yet these Croatians prefer to aim for posh production values, with rather average trancey techno the result." 25%
Busy Going Crazy Halfway In Light EP White Lines "Alan Moulder has done the mixes, and I admire his work for Spiritualizesd, but this is more yer typical engineer-does-dance: y'know, well produced but clinical. The saving grace is the ridiculous 'Analogue ID' which sounds like plonky Chas & Dave East End pub piano mixed into some rough Aphex Twin. Splendid, though fuck knows where you'd play it. If the whole EP had such mad ideas it'd be great, but generally it's too nice and average." 15% & 99%
Alexander Hope Happy Days Phuture Trax "Ooh Blimey. Look, I'm not the manic depressive bloke that many believe, in fact I'm quite an 'up' and happy person, but the astonishing level of blind optimism shown on 'Happy Days' is just too much for me to stomach. It's 'dedicated to the memory of David Cole'. Hmmm, if MY mentor and friend had died I'd want to offer something much more meaningful than this. It's not just the lyrics; which are poor enough; but the whole jolly skippy vibe. Tribute to a dead friend? Nah." 10%
Presence Gettin Lifted/The Strength Remote "Exactly as Remote claim, deep, minimal and moody work-outs, with lovely sounds. Making such minimalist music is true art form, but sadly they've spoilt it for me with the gratuitous vocal sample which takes the edge off. If only they'd resisted topping off this tasty cake with that final vocal cherry it would've made a perfect Blood Sugar record. As it is the voice detracts from the moodiness." 65%
Angel Morales feat Ocatavia Lambertis I Like It Hot N Spicy "I'm not really up to date with Terry Farley & Pete Heller's work, but their 'Fire Island' remix isn't all what I expected. I anticipated something deeper and harsher-edged, not this trancey techno feel. Vocals rarely do much for me on house tracks, and nothing else grabs me here, but it'll certainly end up in yer Tony Humphries-type charts and be played by all the Djs that Terry and Pete respect. In that sense I'm really pleased for them because they're finally receiving respect back from those who matter to them." 40%
Rae & Chrisitian Northern Sulphuric Soul Grand Central "Great title, and given time the track gradually creeps up on me too. It's quite bizarre though: opening as a deep jazzy house thing, then suddenly going all batucada. I can imagine myself lying in the back of a car, really stoned, and hearing Patrick Forge and Giles Peterson play it on the radio. They'd read out the title, and I'd instantly curse myself for having left my copy on the floor at home. The hip hop version is cool and groovy too." 70%
Peanut Butter Wolf Lunar Props EP 2 Kool "Very cool indeed. Basically they're hip hop instrumentals, but what separates them from so much Mo Wax stuff is that Mr Wolf resists stretching out one idea for far too long: everything's so concise and well constructed. The work that goes into finding the right samples for this vibe is immense, yet they still sound rough, dirty and funked. It's formulaic, sure, but in a style that I happen to like. The atmosphere created is very moving." 99.9%
De' Lacy That Look Deconstruction "Weird in Hani remix form, it can't make its mind up whether to be a banging club track or a pop record. In my mind pop and club culture are now much the same thing; with Deconstruction representing the bridge between the two , and doing it well; but 'That Look' is a very average example. I picture furry bras and Ralph Lauren on a Saturday night, which is cool, but definitely not to my tastes. Roll on the forthcoming Deep Dish remix set." 25%
Steve Stoll Elastic Sm:)e "the 'Original' works best, if a bit too bouncy for my liking, but fair play to Hardfloor for going off at a tangent from their usual trademark sound on the remix. They've just changed the drum programming and whacked in a bit or reverb to made it much skippier, but little more. Close, though not as rough as it should be, or as Steve Stoll usually is. It's pressed on jagged-edged red vinyl, and if it sounded a bit more like the disk I'd be happier." 60%
Adam Beyer Pump EP Primate "An in-me-box record that's so good I played three of the four tracks at Tribal Gathering. They're rough and raw pieces of pure pump: really slamming minimal techno tunes, and a prime example of hard and fast music that still manages to retain the groove. Lots of nice little filter noises to really twist my melons too. Oooh." 85%
Pump Friction Keep On Believing Logic "I read top twenty charts in dance magazines and never recognize ANY of the tracks, but I imagine that they all sound much like Pump Friction. It's so production line, with that vaguely 'up' sound that's a bit more banging than yer average house track, and then a few techn-ish sounds tossed in. There's a gutsy, yet soulless, vocal, and it's bound to be a club chart smasheroo, but far too clean and well produced for my liking: Needs to grow a few more hairs on its bollocks." 20%
Free Soul Disco Eyes Classic "Excellent. I'm a sucker for the sort of fucked-up EQ action that's used on the 'Insane Dub' even if the ideas are a bit obvious. Also, respect to Luke Solomon and Derrick Carter for what they're doing with this label, but maybe overall it's a bit TOO obviously disco for my liking: I'd have to be in a really jolly mood to play it out." 65%
Up Bustle & Out Caravan Summer EP Ninja Tune "Not too keen on 'Dance of Caravan Summer'; it's a bit Holiday 96 and Balearic. However the 'Kickin More Ass Than Senoritas (Live Jam)' is REALLY groovy, and it was wonderful of UB&O to leave plenty of the nice little drum loops free so that they can be lifted. Great, it'll be dropped upstairs at Blood Sugar; and have the drums stolen in my studio very soon. Ta!" 70%
UI Dropplike Southern "Very down and bleak in a way that's reminiscent of white boy bands on funk, like 23 Skidoo and A Certain Ratio, that I was into in the late 70s and early 80s before I took E. It's fucked-up, it's dirty, it's mean, it's menacing and it's dubby: proper lo-fi music that's the total antithesis of top ten club chart material. Perilously close to art rock at times, but the groove and dubbiness ultimately prevent it from crawling up its own arse. In a similar stable to Tortoise, taking stuff from the past and adding a new twist." 75%