May 2000I could not attend the WMC conference this year, but from the many reports I have gotten the FLA experience leaned toward a negative ordeal. If any of you had a positive and constructive junket to the sunny south-land, please send your "bon mots" to me. The organizers are not entirely responsible for the attendees' aggravation and dissatisfaction. "Industry" tension persists 365 days a year in Miami and at glutted levels. This includes all the acknowledged "glamorous, media industries" -- fashion, art, music, movies, television, and advertising. The conspicuous "beautiful people" involved are lichen sycophants merely existing within the system; they neither generate nor perpetuate this destructive environment. It is the multitudes of truly irritating, ruthless hysterical types that unscrupulously make everything work behind-the-scenes for the company. These corporate "execs" are the ones that insidiously create our music environment. Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco have all endured this sort of angst for many years. They and a few other cities have enabled the new "glamorous, media industries" and we are all battle-scarred from that experience. Wait until the whole country gets a barrage of the "dot.com" industry that our city-by-the-bay is experiencing. San Francisco has a whole new definition for the word R.A.G.E., it follows in a similar, extremely accelerated mode. You will not like it and it's as far from glamorous as can be. If this is a portent of the future perhaps "it's time to go back, WA-a-y back." If for no other reason than to get a firm grip on what really matters and what truly exists in our lives, on what is real and what is a virtual illusion/delusion of the unobtainable. Music is art and entertainment first and foremost and not merely a commodity to be coldly processed and packaged for mass consumption. No one should complain if there is too much of a good thing. Yet even if there is a grand buffet placed before us with multitudes of our favorite foods, it does not demand we must partake of it all. How many vinyl junkies have the fortified will power to resist the current deluge of fantastic releases? It was most satisfying to see so many key releases popping up before, during, and right after WMC and in spite of it. There is a massive resurgence of my favorite flavor from the underground sector. Many have just pegged the style as DANNY TENEGLIA's late night sexy-deep-tribal sound. Most readers will easily conjure up what is meant. Let's begin with two ex-Twisted labelmates of DT, THE UNDERGROUND SOUND OF LISBON "The Lights" on Kaos Records (Portugal) and THE KULT OF KRAMERIA "Duo" on Xtra Nova (BL). Both artists hale from Portugal and both groups take off from where they left Twisted onto a more daring plane, where processed, deep male vocalizations figure prominently. The Kult of Krameria keep to their deep tribal vibe transported deep, deep down with body-rumbling bass. T.U.S.O.L. get a little more crazed with darkened "3D" sound effects messin' with our heads, reverberating infectious rhythms, and their slamming hallmark of hypnotic deep underground tribal. O-ooh. Speaking of Mr. Teneglia, we have to laud his homage to the deity known to us mortals as GIORGIO MORODER. I know there have been thirteen re-releases from the master in less that one year, but the fourteenth "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY" on Airplane (IT) will stand as the jewel in the crown. This song has been touted from those who know as probably the first trance record ever made -- even more than "Love To Love You," it was a little too sweet. Anyone who has ever heard the original will be struck by the full love and respect Danny Teneglia has given this reinterpretation. So many detailed elements are left intact -- themes, rhythm, tone, and even Giorgio's own sweet vocoder vocals -- that you may wonder what has been done to the record. Keep your memories and do not compare this to the original, what makes this song prime for 2000 are Danny's all new keyboards and programming. What an excellent piece of work. Without too much explanation here are some incredible tracks that follow suit. With yet more mixes of GET FUCKED's "Dark & Dirty" on Plastic City (GM), Matthew Bushwacka does his swamp house thing on this tech-houser from Hess & Coles. OTC "Late EP" from 16B's UK label Alola, deep & classy keeping just this side of tech. LUKE SLATER "Body Freefall" Novamute catches by surprise with an extremely accessible electronic excursion. Slater's own "Needle Damage Mix" is a deep, techno tribal affair filtered just a tad to tempt the weaker of heart. Slater joins Alan Sage on the "Sage Mix" which will appeal to the college sector with a extremely grungy big beat version. Jon Carter's "Junior Cartier Mix" propels the track into the hard house Trade neighborhood, with a few novel twists. The topper is Slam's (Orde Meikle/Stuart McMillan) "Counterplan Mix." These guys just smooth out some of the edges by stripping the whole thing down to the basics of the mental house groove, flowing filtered layers, warm analog bass, and some distant submerged vocoder voices. Sexy. THOMAS SCHUMACHER is one of the most prolific and well respected techno artists to come out of Germany. With "Sci-Fi Trax 3.3" he takes a distinct departure from his norm producing a "deep cycling pumper" built on an enhanced, crisp kick. This stripped-down shaker will no doubt hook many dance floors when the rhythm patterns cycle into its samba-tech groove. MEAT KATIE (Dylan & Katie) "Strange Fruit" on Kingsize (UK) is the group's most accomplished and well structured work to date. Taking a departure from the "breaks," "Strange Fruit" and "Our Destruction" are exquisite hybrids incorporating sensual liquid house bass lines accented with thickly layered ambient elements from the deep tweaky trance realm. Although it has been too long a time since we last heard from ANGEL MORAES, he and Mr. T. have always seemed to be on similar pages. "Funk Train" on Deluxe Audio UK lets us know that Angel has not been sleeping. This came out a while ago as an extremely limited offering on his own Hot & Spicy imprint. These completed versions reveal Moraes's genuine mastery of house grooves. The main version kicks off with a phat, bass-driven percussion that is built up with sinewy reverberant drums to emphasize the underlying dark tribal edge. There are some crowd pleasing "siren-synth" effects that complement the classic "get on the funk train" vocal snippets. Expect to hear spins from all sectors, trance DJs, house DJs, and underground DJs. Instant classic. Speaking of classics, Angel Moraes turns out the mixes for TAANA GARDNER's Westend classic "Work That Body." This is the perfect capper for our little set of titillating, deliciously seductive, dance floor gems. The main "Angel's Workin' Mix" is essential as Moraes courts Taana's fevered vocals with his trademark, sweaty muscular bass lines prodded along by a mean kick and searing keyboard riffs. There are a few beautifully constructed breakdowns of the type that keep the tension taut until the song kicks back in, sure to generate screams from the floor. THE DISCIPLES OF JOHNNY MOJO return with their third release on Tarantic Records (415-351-2977 or info@tarantic.com) "I Feel This." It's always gratifying to experience the growth in any musician's work, especially when there are leaps and bounds in the space of three releases. DJ BLACKSTONE and cohort AMIT SHOHAM have obviously been keeping their attention on the pulse of current events from the underground. These guys have garnered a healthy dose of confidence since their last effort, with elegantly stripped-down construction this release pulsates with late night house passions. The simple rolling rhythm pattern is skillfully paired with scintillating bongos and an interesting scattering of spacey sound effects. There is just the right amount of Blackstone's minimal vocal stabs of the title, reminiscent of the old school style. There is a big secret that I have to let you all in on, DYNAMIC TRAX INTERNATIONAL. This new dance "indie" is in position to impact the big markets and hit 'em where it hurts so good. Reforming their imprint in 1999 this Anaheim posse (714-593-9852 or www.dynamictrax.com) has taken an obvious cue from the hard-disco sounds of the Dutch and the groovy-tech energy of the Germans. There have been several stateside labels licensing tracks from our "energized" Euro brethren for some time and with great success. Cesar G. and cohort Jonny Lexxs have followed their passion and taken the music that has been working for them on the dance floor (like Olav Basoski, Timo Maas or labels Tidy Trax, React, Tripoli Trax, etc), and added good ol' American know how and "ta-daa" -- a new and distinctive hybrid is born. If any of the previous buzz words catch your eye, hunt these titles down, put them all in your crate.There are plenty of familiar musical and vocal hooks used throughout all Dynamic Trax offerings, but you'll never have that bitter "bad cheese" aftertaste. As with all the most successful releases within the hard-house energy genre that "fromage tightrope" is finely walked. Nine releases have been pumped out from the prolific label, all equally good and workable. Their roster include; DYNAMIC DUAL (the label owners), RAOUL ZERNA, LA's own TONY B!, JONNY LEXXS, DJ "E" and KINGS OF MIDI. Satisfaction is guaranteed. The final entry is sadly a timely affair. IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS "SEX&DRUGS&ROCK&ROLL" on Stiff/Arcade Holland has what turns out to be the perfect marriage between this classic 80s chestnut and the KLUBBHEADS. This is another case of the full vocal remix by the Klubbheads sounding so appropriate that it will be hard to figure what exactly was done in the remix. All original vocals, analog drums, and guitar seem to be intact. For those with less balls the dub remix retains the Blockheads' funky guitar licks accentuated by the Klubbheads' trademark punchy house energy. There are only vocal snips of "sex & drugs, sex & drugs, sex & drugs." Ian Dury passed away the first week of April 2000. RIP. Send review material to: |