Column

Ben Lovett - The Grooveyard (May)

Miami bumped and hustled in its usual chaotic, colourful fashion this March. The Winter Music Conference/Ultra Music Festival split didn’t, my stringers suggest, cause any major issues; festivities, in fact, seemed healthier than ever...

MIAMI NICE

The mid-month gap between the WMC (March 8-12) and Ultra ‘week’ (Mar 25-27) was quickly filled by all manner of one-off events, and so Miami, traditionally associated with just a few days of activity, became a sprawling March-long entity. People didn’t talk about the ‘doing’ the Conference or Ultra, they talked about ‘doing’ Miami.

There were soulful, ecstatically received stirrings from Timmy Regisford at the Shelborne Beach resort on March 9; his Shelter Records party was promptly followed – the following evening – by some faster-paced, jack-tastic business courtesy of Derrick Carter, in Miami to promote his excellent Fabric London mix compilation. Shelborne completed a wonderful hat-trick on March 12 thanks to the epic, wide-ranging, super sweaty Body & Soul party hosted by Danny Krivit, ‘Joe’ Claussell and Francois K. The pool-side went absolutely crazy when Claussell dropped a Karizma edit of Trina Broussard’s Inside My Love; as did Claussell himself….

Beyond WMC, revered German house and techno label Cadenza threw several smart events – on boats and beaches, you name it… Label boss Luciano and Detroit legend Carl Craig flew the Cadenza flag vigorously, even managing to include Fine Young Cannibals’ She Drives Me Crazy in some of their sets!

Swedish House Mafia rocked the Masquerade Hotel, Mark Knight brought leftfield, four-to-the-floor finesse to one of Beatport’s shindigs at the Gansevoort, and fast-rising Spaniard Maceo Plex (do check his current album Life Index) dazzled at Crosstown Rebels’ Get Lost party – weaving intricate melodic house into future-tech, pop-synths and charming vocals. Visionary stuff….

And then there were the fringe functions from the likes of pop-edged housers Soul Clap and Wolf + Lamb (at Miami’s intimate Electric Pickle), the headline performances at Ultra itself (a bangin’ Moby, and similarly pumped Tiesto and David Guetta) and Sunday School’s rather wonderful Lost Weekend – a 36-hour techno-driven blowout held at the Ice Palace Film Studio, Lost Weekend marked something of a come-down for the whole mad, manic month of Miami merriment. Ovum boss Josh Wink had one of the final sets, dropping the accapella from Inner City’s monumental Good Life over a subtle rhythm track just after sunset. I’m told it was a magical moment, Miami audibly winding down for another year and jaded clubbers given an opportunity to think about 2012.

Miami has passed its biggest test yet with flying colours – more than anything that’s testament to the current strength and depth of the global dance music scene.

IBIZA LOOKING HOT!

Elsewhere, Ibiza is revving up for another summer season and things are looking more varied than ever before. Soul-house kingpin Kerri Chandler will be rubbing shoulders with BPitch’s leftfield boss Ellen Allien at the Circo Loco opening party on May 30 (at DC-10). White Isle super-club Amnesia welcomes a mainstream residency from MTV (featuring Duran Duran among others) as well as regular appearances from techno royal Sven ‘Cocoon’ Vath; Cream is lining up Laidback Luke, Eddie Halliwell and Calvin Harris, and Space promises season-long collaborations with everyone from Carl Cox and Carl Craig to Aphex Twin, Fatboy Slim, Heidi, Jesse Rose and Derrick May.

As for Pacha in Ibiza Town, clubbers can expect to see (or rather hear) Luciano’s Cadanza crew, Erick ‘More’ Morillo and Radio 1 veteran Pete Tong. Not forgetting, of course, Defected In The House’s major Saturday night residency.

Running June 4 to September 24, Defected’s weekly showcase will feature self-styled Parisian ‘playboy’ Bob Sinclar on five separate occasions. That includes the June 4 opening bash - Bob on the decks alongside Copyright and Defected boss Simon Dunmore – and closing fiesta, Bob and Simon joined by Junior Jack & Kid Crème. Defected’s four-month run also involves Sandy Rivera, (June 11, September 17), Dimitri From Paris (June 18), Frankie Knuckles (September 3) and a number of dates from David Morales, DJ Chus and ATFC. Full list of dates below...

Defected In The House at Pacha Ibiza 2011
Every Saturday from June 4th to September 24th 2011

04 June: Bob Sinclar | Copyright | Simon Dunmore |Shovell live on percussion
11 June: Sandy Rivera | Junior Jack & Kid Crème | Shovell Live on percussion| MC Shurakano
18 June: Dimitri From Paris | David Morales
25 June: DJ Chus & David Penn | Copyright | Shovell live on percussion
02 July: The Shapeshifters | ATFC
09 July: ‘Bob Sinclar In The House’: Bob Sinclar | Simon Dunmore | Rae PA & DJ set with Live Vocals | Shovell Live on percussion
16 July: The Shapeshifters | Chocolate Puma
23 July: David Morales | DJ Chus
30 July: Junior Jack & Kid Crème | ATFC | MC Shurakano
06 August: ‘Bob Sinclar In The House’: Bob Sinclar | Simon Dunmore
13 August: David Morales| The Shapeshifters
20 August: Junior Jack & Kid Crème | ATFC | MC Shurakano
27 August: ‘Bob Sinclar In The House’: Bob Sinclar | Simon Dunmore | Rae PA & DJ set with Live Vocals
03 September: Frankie Knuckles | The Shapeshifters
10 September: Junior Jack & Kid Crème | Copyright | Shovell live on percussion| MC Shurakano
17 September: Sandy Rivera| Copyright| Shovell Live on percussion
24 September: Bob Sinclar | Simon Dunmore | Junior Jack & Kid Crème | Shovell Live on percussion | MC Shurakano

Review time now….

SINGLE REVIEWS

Reelsoul feat. Dawn Tallman – Quiet Place (UK MN2S)

Both producer and vocalist have huge soul-house pedigree. Their combined effort here is everything you’d hope for, slick drums, warm keys and peppy electronic b-line working in perfect harmony with Tallman’s sweet vocals. Real-deal house.
5/5

DJ Meme Orchestra & Tracy K – Love Is You (UK MN2S)

Brazilian maestro DJ Meme hooks up with Ms K – of The Cure And The Cause fame – for a thundering cover of Carol Williams’ Salsoul standard. Much of the original, uplifting disco flavour has been left – rather deliciously – unaltered and, while K tweaks the vocal arrangements, her unique delivery thoroughly convinces. Knee Deep add worthy remixes to a package set to soar this summer.
5/5

Kevin Knapp – Like This EP (UK Leftroom Limited)

San Francisco-based Knapp rides in on a wave of jacking house beats, dirty b-lines and vintage piano riffs, not to mention his own engaging, multi-layered vocals. Sean Miller contributes a smart tech-edged revamp but it’s Knapp’s original, all power and shrewd purpose, that shines brightest.
4/5

Arnaud D – What It Feels Like (UK Restless Soul)

Lyon’s Monsieur D teams up with vocalist Emory Toler for a stunningly deep soul-house gem that bears all the rich, musical hallmarks of the label from whence it came. Restless Soul continues to deliver.
5/5

Black Motion – Banane Mavoko: Remixes (UK Tribe)

South African dance crew Black Motion presents its recent WMC house smash Banane Mavoko (‘Clap Your Hands) as a full remix package on super soulful London imprint Tribe. That infectious original, buoyed by the late Jah Rich’s lyrical chants, is present but given artful afro-latin-soul tweaks via LA producer Jose Marquez and a peppy afro-beat re-rub courtesy of Blaze man Josh Milan; rising jazz-house star Justin ‘Cabana’ Imperiale provides a further hot-to-trot interpretation. Top Banane….
5/5

James Talk & Ridney – One For Me (UK Azuli)

Southampton lads Talk and Ridney (Sunshyne, Forever, What You Need) are back with another summer-sizzling house banger, crashing soaring chords and sledgehammer drums against epic breakdowns and Max C’s punchy soul vocals in unquestionable style.
4/5

Zoo Look – Holdin’ On EP (UK Tenth Circle)

Zoo Look – Bournemouth trio Samson King, Craig Watkins and Alex Warren – was born out of a passion for deep house and disco, or so the press blurb tells us. That’s actually a good steer, Holdin’ On offering clued-up grooves based around spaced-out pads, subterranean melodies and atmospheric vocals.
4/5

The Shapeshifters & Shermanology – Waiting For You (UK Nocturnal Groove)

The Shapeshifters follow last year’s major dancefloor rumbles Helter Skelter and She Freaks with a similarly pumped workout alongside Dutch trio Shermanology. Uplifting house built on big synths, big breakdowns and even bigger vocal hooks, Waiting For You has Ibiza smash written all over it.
3/5

That’s the singles, what of this month’s long-players?

ALBUM REVIEWS

Various Artists – FabricLive 57: Jackmaster (UK Fabric Records)

It’s down to Glaswegian twentysomething Jack Revill to entertain on the latest instalment of Fabric’s long running compilation series. Revill the Numbers man who DJs up and down the country as Jackmaster, doesn’t disappoint either, walloping through nearly 30 tracks in 60 minutes with no little ambition, skill and, crucially, appeal. Revill’s genre-hopping is as frequent as it is inspired, touching base with Detroit, classic Yank house, acid, grime (via Skepta) indie-electronica (Radiohead’s stark Idioteque) and the plain ol’ deconstructive (Hudson Mohawkeb). And through it all he maintains mix tempo and fluidity, providing listeners with what surely ranks as one of FabricLive’s best albums yet. Bravo.
5/5

Audiofly – Follow My Liebe (Ger Get Physical)

Techno pair Anthony Middleton and Luca Saporito share something like nine years of studio history – a vast number of rated EP's and remixes – so it’s remarkable that Follow My Liebe represents their first ever long-player. The album is an extremely well-rounded and balanced affair, showcasing all sides of the Audiofly sound, from filthy techno to deep minimalism. Follow My Liebe even goes as far as to showcase Middleton and Saporito’s previously unheard experiments in to ambient soundscape. And it gives more over repeated listens. My Happy Place is beautiful dancefloor exposition, mixing sharp percussion and rolling drums with infectious melodies; a track like 6 Degrees wallows in powerful underground pop melancholy, whilst Puddle Of Diamonds unrolls smoky jazz vocals over intricate, mesmeric deep house rhythms. Audiofly have fuelled their debut on slick, clever production, diversity and real feeling, it’s set to run and run….
4/5

Various Artists - In The City (Ger Souvenir)

A tasty compilation from Tiefschwarz’s Berlin imprint, twisting into all manner of interesting dancefloor-focussed shapes via material from, among others, Ruede Hagelstein & Nancei (moody tech), Nico (deep b-lines), Rampa (quality minimal) and ONNO (tech meets jungle). That, of course, is the main unmixed disc; a second, stitched seamlessly together by Tiefschwarz, brings together major moments from the Souvenir back catalogue, including Tiefschwarz feat. Dave Aju’s I Can’t Resist, Rampa’s Cheer, Santé’s Ever Since and Phonique’s What I Fake.
4/5

Various Artists – Balance 018: Nick Warren (Aus Balance)

Mr Way Out West mixes the next two-disc instalment of Balance Music’s illustrious compilation series. Warren, true to form, gathers tracks from a wide array of international artists – contributors including Jamie Anderson, Giorgos Gatzigristos, Lank, Pablo Acenso and lord ensure Warren treads a slightly darker, tech-ier path than normal but that all works in his favour. Energetic and enigmatic….
4/5

Hiroshi Watanabe – Sync Positive (Gr Klik Records)

Watanabe is a Japanese house legend, previously releasing on revered overseas labels including King Street, Nite Grooves and Kompakt, not to mention regularly featuring at top Big Apple clubs Twilo and Tunnel, when both were at the height of their powers. Sync Positive, his second album on Greek label Klik, is a warm, dubby, sophisticated business with occasional nods to techno and the leftfield. It’s immersive in all the right ways, building interesting moods for the listener rather than pretentious, over-fussy confusion.
4/5

Kraak & Smaak – Electric Hustle (UK Jalapeno Records)

Dutch trio Wim Plug, Mark Kneppers and Oscar De Jong offer their most electronic and accessible long-player yet, a confident blast of swish nu-disco, hands-in-the-air piano house and deep digital funk with real onus on soulful, switched-on vocals, nimble keys and chunky beats. The list of contributors is impressive, including local chanteuse Lex Empress, rising Brit bluesman John Turrell Yank house don Romanthony (here on vocals) and New York funker Lee Fields. Electric Hustle is infectious, uplifting, savvy dancefloor music.
5/5

Various Artists – Henry Street Grooves (UK BBE)

Founded in 1993 by producer Tommy Musto and Atlantic A&R Johnny deMairo, Henry Street Music captured the minds, bodies and feet of discerning househeads everywhere during the 1990s. All releases were recorded at the eponymous studio in the eponymous street from deMairo’s Brooklyn neighbourhood, and there several out-and-out classics; not least Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez’s Bucketheads-fronted The Bomb and Mike Delgado’s The Murder Track. Those highlight tracks, and several others (Mateo & Matos’ Feel The Groove and Delgado’s Byrdman’s Revenge for example) are sadly missing from BBE’s new double-disc tribute but the cuts they do select are still worthy representations of the pure, swinging Henry Street vibe – such as DJ Duke’s epic D2-D2, JohNick’s smooth Rhodes-led Summer Flight and The Rising Sunz’ snazzy, jazzy Sunrize. Good if not blistering.
3/5

Various Artists – Sound Of The City: Dan Ghenacia’s Paris (UK Ministry Of Sound)

French Circo Loco resident Dan Ghenacia kick-starts Ministry Of Sound’s new compilation series in rather chic style. Sounds Of The City aims to convey the ‘golden era’ dance sounds of cities from all over the world, its first double-disc jolly focussing on late Nineties Paris and therefore gathering all manner of vintage house tracks by Mood II Swing, Soldiers Of Twilight, Crispin J Glover, Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez and DJ Deep. Ghenacia’s two mixes are feisty, funky and full flavoured; history lessons the way they should be….
4/5

Tron Legacy Soundtrack – Tron Reconfigured (UK Disney/EMI)

Daft Punk’s hugely successful soundtrack to movie reboot Tron Legacy gets a reboot of its own – inevitable perhaps considering its high-profile release and major label-backing. The Punk has no involvement here (reports going as far to suggest that they’re displeased) which is probably just as well, this new project – effectively a remix album – failing to deliver on several fronts. Moby offers a thoughtful new take on The Son Of Flynn, whilst Avicii, Sander Kleinenberg, and Kaskade make decent dancefloor work of Derezzed, End Titles and Rinzler, but many of the other remixes – from the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Boy Noize and The Crystal Method - fail to connect with their source material, and capitalise on its powerful mood and depth. There’s undoubtedly appeal for mainstream dancefloors here, but where Tron Reconfigured could have been timeless it is merely temporary. System fail.
2/5

Blaze – House Masters (UK Defected/In The House)

New Jersey kings Blaze – Josh Milan and Kevin Hedge – step up to Defected’s illustrious compilation series and recount their rich house music heritage over two un-mixed, golden CDs. Original productions and remixes, steeped in that achingly soulful, deeply musical trademark Blaze sound, sit snugly alongside well-chosen and respectful interpretations of Blaze material by the likes of Mousse T (Amira’s Walk), Joey Negro (Blaze’s Wishing You Were Here) and Danny Krivit (Blaze’s How Deep Is Your Love). Blaze’s own contributions range from early hits So Special, If You Should Need A Friend and Can’t Win For Losin’ to comparatively recent successes Do You Remember House, Elevation and Reachin (as Phase II). There’s little to fault, plenty to admire – fans of emotive soul-house need this.
5/5

Various Artists – The Beat Generation: 10th Anniversary Collection (UK BBE)

London’s BBE label has released nine Beat Generation albums since the turn of the century and this latest addition celebrates reaching 10 by comprehensively corralling highlights from those previous nine outings. The Beat Generation: 10th Anniversary is contemporary hip-hop at its very, very best, including memorable escapades by Jazzy Jeff (covering Roy Ayers with help from Jill Scott), Pete Rock, Marley Marl, Jay Dee, King Britt and an unshackled Will.i.am. Certain tracks feature on both of the album’s discs - one mixed by DJ Spinna, the other by Mr Thing (there’s a third mix via the digital release) – but there is, largely, originality throughout and, crucially, vibe. If you’re one of Beat Generation’s uninitiated here is a perfect place to start.
4/5

Osunlade – Pyrography (Gr Yoruba Records)

Multi-talented artist, musician, DJ and producer Osunlade is back with his first full-length house album since 2007’s Elements Beyond; it is also, so he claims, set to be his last in the genre. A real shame if true as Pyrography bristles with creativity, demonstrating superior studio craft, polyrhythmic intensity and a warm musicality across each of its carefully plotted tracks. There is much focus this time round on vocals - current single Idiosyncrasy skilfullyWalking In Paris, a collaboration with Chateau Flight, offers deliciously quirky production around Salome de Bahia’s spoken words, and Ser Al Santisimo drives powerfully forward on the spiritual chants of Onslade’s shamanic Yoruba religion. Diverse and deep-rooted, Pyrography is a towering, wildfire release destined for status as one of the year’s most memorable, emotional dance excursions.
5/5

BEN LOVETT ...Still working the late shift!

Please feel free to contact me with any Dance news that you feel would benefit others ben@bluesandsoul.com Thank you.