Moods & Grooves has outgrown its reputation asjust a house label. The importance founder Mike Grant places on diverse musical architecture pays off on Beneath the Surface, a meticulously constructed and eclectic musical passage. The compilation weaves through Rick Wade’s haunting acapellas and John Tejada’s fast-paced keyboard tweaks, winding up with the funky, downtempo “Is It Cool” by Andres, all of which leaves the listener stranded in the hallway between the dance arena and the chill-out lounge.
Sound In Color Mu.Sic Sound In Color Mu.Sic
Only Ubiquity Records and Titonton’s Residual have done more to boost the emerging US broken and future jazz scene than So Cal’s Sound In Color. This sampler features mental uptempo grooves from rising star GB, fractured hip-hop from Exile, and a fine Daz-I-Kue treatment of Mainframe & Platonic’s “Future’s Oldest Story.” Dez Einswell sleeve art provides a classic look. Essential.
Raw Deal Used to Be
Soaring, soulful vocals and three-part harmonies cascade through Jim “Raw Deal” Robbins’s first single from his forthcoming Snakes And Ladders album. Zap Mama’s Tanya “Nia” Saw sweetly complements Robbins’s shuffle-boogie beat that draws on electro-disco instrumentation, cowbells, jazzy guitars and all. Superb.
Not For Nuthin’ Story
With echoes of Black Moon, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn MCs E-dot, Loer Velocity and producer Donnan Linkz unveil a fluid, cruising-in-your-Explorer-type track, with rhyme waterfalls that flow over liquid soul loops. Mr. Complex guests on “Eye Opener,” and overall this single’s solid ’94-ism makes ’04 hip-hop sound like cotton candy.
DJ Omega Go For What You Know
Get yo’ jit on with more hot from Godfather’s Databass label. “Go For What You Know” is a warmer ghetto tech number, with bass that bumps up and down the scale and lyrics designed to give hoes good self-esteem. Flip for sexier house-tempo numbers with that Detroit dirty edge. Also check DJ PJ’s “Da Ghetto Bangdown,” a four-tracker of quality, Funk/Deeon-styled ghetto house. Time to retire your copy of Assault’s “Ass ‘N’ Titties” now.
J.D.S vs. Mihell Purple Funky Monkey
Taking bassline cues from UK grime and rhythm tics from Chicago house, this track is a dancefloor attention grabber with a dramatic electro breakdown, peak-time breaks, vague rock influences and sawing synths. Flip for “Daylight,” a shiny hyperbolic nu-skool number reminiscent of Underworld and Josh Wink.
Hold Tight Black Magic
Newbies Hold Tight dish out dark tech that doesn’t stagnate, thanks to punchy beats and plenty of change-ups. “Black Magic” is a bumpy ride through the makeshift haunted house at the carnival, all squalling synth lines and twisted jump-up bass. “Crack Den” starts off jazzy and horny before nasty smoking leads turn up and gets everyone addicted.
Stanton Warriors Slanty
The hits here are “Slanty” and “Jiggle Dat,” glistening vocal breaks numbers featuring sinuous chatting from dancehall star Ce’cile; the production could be dirtier, but these still deliver hot club action. Limp neo-soul number “When I Wake” and the bizarre Kraftwerk-meets-Cameo funk of “Adventures of Success” round things out.
Circuit Breaker Phonque
Berlin’s Circuit Breaker puts punk attitude and electro touches to a breaks framework on “Phonque,” where nasty leads duel with classic techno sounds (love that percolator noise!); flip for a minimal, bass-driven remix from Bristol’s October. Also check Circuit’s Headbangers Ball mix of Bengston’s “Jump” (on Swiss label Ritmic), which turns a paint-by-the-numbers breaks bit into a raver’s anthem that mixes influences from Run DMC to Metallica.
Mathematics Rub A Dub
Mathematics ramps up their own Social Studies label with a tidy little drum workout-pitched-down Amens and bongos to be exact-armed with chase scene horns and, duh, dub influences. Roll on as “In & Out” pairs happy synths, flute and sax trills and Krust bass for a retro JMJ & Richie/Flytronix-style rinse. Lovely.
