DHS-LP 01
(H) Photek - 'Modus Operandi'
(D) The Chemical Brothers - 'Exit Planet Dust'
Interesting eh?!
At least to me it was, has been so far, and is - the transition of the DHS model from a handful of potentially disparate tracks into one where the focus is on one artist and a body of their work.
In terms of reviewing your choices I'm going to opt for a different model too - at least for this first round - we'll see how it goes for subsequent selections. What I mean is that I'm not going to write about track-by-track, but more take them at the album level - if not actually the (macro) genre level...
I'm intrigued, although not necessarily surprised, that you've both started off this DHS-LP adventure by choosing albums not only by 'dance' acts but by dance acts from a specific period - second half of
the nineties. I find this intriguing for two reasons.
Firstly I think that, more than any other broad musical 'genre', post-acid-house-dance-music successfully lends itself to the 'single' format rather than the longer playing album. The freedom that the single format conveys is much enjoyed by producers who will put out release after release across a variety of (relatively unrelated/obscure) styles and under a similar variety of pseudonyms, thus allowing each track to stand or fall alone on its own limited merits - as directly opposed to collating all those releases under one name and releasing a much riskier 'multi-(sub)genre' album. Most other rock/pop/indie/folk/etc acts generally only ever release under one name/identity. This dilution inevitably waters down both the numbers of dance-music artist albums and the quality of the tracks therein. As the 21st century has developed I think this has become less so the case - there are more esoteric 'dance' albums released now than ever before - but it took producer(s) with BIG balls to nail their musical colours to the album mast in the mid/late nineties to give momentum.
Secondly I find your choices intriguing for their very era of release - the mid nineties - quite simply the era in which you both 'fully succumbed' to dance music. Not remotely surprising but vaguely intriguing in that DHS-LP is a new venture and mid 90s dance music is something we all share in common and is therefore relatively safe ground. Also worth noting is how hip-hop influenced both albums are - again, no great surprise given both of your predilections for the slower, phatter, beat.
As for the albums themselves...
It will come as no surprise that I find the Photek sound more pleasing than that of the Chemical Brothers - despite the Chemical Brothers album offering an arguably broader range of sound than Photek's.
On Modus Operandi; 'Smoke Rings', 'Aleph 1' and '124' would be my pick of the album's content. Although there is no denying that the entire thing is fantastically produced and the quality of sound is great. Somewhat bizarrely it is the album's title track that is my least favourite - I'm really not a big fan of the overtly jazzy drum and bass sound. Decent album though, 6.5/10 for me.
As for Exit Planet Dust; firstly let me say I'm not a fan of 'segued' artist albums - you know, where there is no distinct gap between tracks but they're not actually 'mixed' in any constructive way...? This is, in places, such an album. Unfortunately. I like the dubby feel of 'One Too Many Mornings' and 'Alive Alone'. Other than those my favourite thing on here by a MILE - and still just about the best thing they've ever done is 'Song To The Siren' albeit that tragically they didn't use the fuller original version that they recorded as The Dust Brothers, whilst the full 10+ minute Sabres Of Paradise remix of it (released on Junior Boys Own) is genuinely a Top 20 of all time dance record contender. Again, decent album, for me a 6/10.
DHS-LP truly underway - looking forward to the next round of choices.
x
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Monday, 10 June 2013
DHS 11 - Part 11 (H)
It has been over a month, very remiss of me - sincere apologies.
D:
Patton - very very lovely (must be made longer); Gerrard - beautiful and serene, goosebumps; Armstrong - a class act as always; Eurythmics - one of the most influential records in my life for sure, have removed it from my potentials list; Reed - indirectly this is also one of the most influential records in my life - simply superb.
S:
Jean Wright - classic; Chic - timeless classic, Bowie - quite comfortably, for my money anyway, one of his top 3 records; Sheila - many happy memories of 6th form, cracking record; Ross - well and absolutely truly one of the most classic tracks in this genre ever produced. I actually prefer "I Want your Love" as it retains a little understated moodiness, but this record is totally iconic and the production / sounds were, and still are, much coveted and relevant now (for purists anyway)
Not planned to be back-to-back with S's tribute at all, it's just a timing situation because I'm listening to one particular mix A LOT again recently due to the sunny weather.....
My next selection is a big nod to Mr Dave Mothersole for introducing me to a whole plethora of absolutely incredible music which was recorded and put together in the 80's but 95% of which has been new to my ears. It is the superb, melodic, chuggy, hypnotic and hugely varied sound of the early morning Goa parties c.'83-'89 which he summed up with his "Unveiling The Secret - The Roots of Trance" mix; itself a tribute to the mythical Laurent who conducted his mixing of music via cassette decks - quite incredible by all accounts. SO happy to have been introduced this music... the emotions I went through when I first heard the style were, dare I say it, very similar to how I felt as a 7 year old kid when I first heard acid house in the late 80's... someone build be a time machine.... If you haven't listened to Dave's mix for a while do go back and revisit it (Soundcloud) but for the meantime here are five of my (many) favourites from the mix:-
Habiba
Unveiling The Secret
Zoolookologie
(These last two just made me lose my mind when mixed together; absolute power - you will understand why this music is often termed as 'proto-trance' by Mothersole and others)
Jabdah
Humanoid Invasion.
Keep on keeping on,
H
D:
Patton - very very lovely (must be made longer); Gerrard - beautiful and serene, goosebumps; Armstrong - a class act as always; Eurythmics - one of the most influential records in my life for sure, have removed it from my potentials list; Reed - indirectly this is also one of the most influential records in my life - simply superb.
S:
Jean Wright - classic; Chic - timeless classic, Bowie - quite comfortably, for my money anyway, one of his top 3 records; Sheila - many happy memories of 6th form, cracking record; Ross - well and absolutely truly one of the most classic tracks in this genre ever produced. I actually prefer "I Want your Love" as it retains a little understated moodiness, but this record is totally iconic and the production / sounds were, and still are, much coveted and relevant now (for purists anyway)
Not planned to be back-to-back with S's tribute at all, it's just a timing situation because I'm listening to one particular mix A LOT again recently due to the sunny weather.....
My next selection is a big nod to Mr Dave Mothersole for introducing me to a whole plethora of absolutely incredible music which was recorded and put together in the 80's but 95% of which has been new to my ears. It is the superb, melodic, chuggy, hypnotic and hugely varied sound of the early morning Goa parties c.'83-'89 which he summed up with his "Unveiling The Secret - The Roots of Trance" mix; itself a tribute to the mythical Laurent who conducted his mixing of music via cassette decks - quite incredible by all accounts. SO happy to have been introduced this music... the emotions I went through when I first heard the style were, dare I say it, very similar to how I felt as a 7 year old kid when I first heard acid house in the late 80's... someone build be a time machine.... If you haven't listened to Dave's mix for a while do go back and revisit it (Soundcloud) but for the meantime here are five of my (many) favourites from the mix:-
Habiba
Unveiling The Secret
Zoolookologie
(These last two just made me lose my mind when mixed together; absolute power - you will understand why this music is often termed as 'proto-trance' by Mothersole and others)
Jabdah
Humanoid Invasion.
Keep on keeping on,
H
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