Dance

Rip It Up, Issue 208, 1 December 1994, Page 38

Dance

KEVIN SANDERSON PRESENTS KMS The Party of the Year (UK KMS CD/double vinyl)

This guy may have invented the term “techno” although, as this collection of tracks from his highly regarded Detroit based label shows, he’s now way beyond that now degraded term. Essentially this album showcases the cream of the deeper side of Detroit and Chicago, and with Chez Damier, Carl Craig, Kevin Saunderson and Mark Kinchen all contributing some of their finer moments, this album is large. ( ARMAND VAN HELDEN EP . A I (US Strictly Rhythm 12”) ,- J This disc is so good, and so ultimately essential, that it defies reviewing. Boston’s Armand is looking like the first serious contender for Todd Terry’s crown as king of the serious rhythm track. Like Todd the god, he shifts effortlessly between hip-hip and house. He also has the Todd-like ability to wear his influences openly, but unashamedly mutated. This record has four monster tracks, from the tribal . ‘Witch Doctor’ to', my favourite, the pounding ‘Back ta da ’Bos’, which pushes together classic (Beat Street) hip-hop loops with house attitudes. Genius. ( MR FINGERS I Need You . A V (UK Black Market 12”) J Larry Heard announces a few months back that he’s giving up music, then follows the statement with a new album, the patchy ambient Scenarios not Songs, and this single, in the style of much of the last Mr Fingers album. The Frankie Foncett and Simon Law mixes on side one are a waste of time. I mean, if Larry wants to appeal to the R Kelly market, he should just have a lobotomy. Side two is all together better, especially the brilliant‘Atmosphere Dub’. - ( DJ DISCIPLE On The Dancefloor A I (UK Mother 12”) J ( APOSTLE 1 My Soul’s On Fire A (UK Azuli 12”) J ( SPIRITS Don’t Bring Me Down A I (UK MCA 12”) '• / * J These are totally unrelated, apart from the names. Disciple’s track was taken from his US EP of a few months back, but has been remixed for global consumption (on U2’s label) by Tommy D, who’s given us a pretty funky, Brooklyn styled track, and by Farley and Heller, whose Roach Motel dub works best, brilliantly sampling DTrain’s ‘You’re the One For Me’ to effect.

Apostle 1 is actually the ever prolific Romanthony, following his massive ‘ln The Mix’ hit with this tribal-gospel hybrid, in his typical grungey, discofied, hypnotic style, that threatens to be just as big as the last one. You get the

much sought after ‘Testify’ on the b-side as a bonus.

Spirits are a South London gospel act. The original double 12” promo , had a variety of mixes from a variety of people, none of which did the song, or the voices, much justice. Check , out, instead, the swaying anthemic Marshall Jefferson mix on the commercial release, which moves the track from the pleasant to the level of a classic Ten City record. A WILLIE NINJA Hot ~ A I (US Nervous double 12”) J ( VOICES Voices in My Head j L (UK Sound of Ministry 12”) J Two from the Masters at Work. Willie Ninja is the doorman, or a dancer, or something like that, at a New York club, and apparently some sort of a personality around town. ‘Hot’ is based around the oft’ used Gwen Guthrie sample, a funky groove of the type MAW could turn out in their sleep, and a sleazy taikover from Willie. The killers-on this package are the amazing deep and metallic dubs from the Murk guys, which twist, build and grind in an amazing fashion. The Voices record is really just that, a soaring anthem, remixed by CJ Mackintosh, and built around the amazing voices of Louie Vega’s wife India and Michael Watford. It really is just about perfect. Just when you think it couldn’t get any better, another voice drops in. Hear it and understand. ( MASS Nature Rise A I (US Nervous 12”) J ( THE UNDERGROOVE Reach J \JUS Empire State 12”) J f MORAES I Like It . A L (US Hot ’n’ Spicy 12”) - . J ( HEADRUSH Underground /- . A \JUS Emotive 12”) , J Four awesome themes from the New York and Jersey underground. As deep and as funky as you could really ask; soulful, slightly jazzy, dubbed out, drugged out tracks that you can either drift out to or groove with. The sound of the inner city, p KEY AURA Hot Dog . A \JUK Consolidated 12”) J ( RHYME TIME PRODUCTIONS You and Me ) \(UK Cleveland City 12”) - J Cleveland City are about as reliable as you can get: loads of good records, a couple of great ones, and now real dogs — unless they stick vocals on it. These guys seem to stick the ugliest voices they can find on their vocal cuts. Real cheese. Unfortunately, That’s a Noise is one of those. Even the dub has a vocal. Sad. Key Aura is on their tuffer offshoot and is good floor fodder with a big, big bassline. Rhyme Time is the sharpest and best of the three — funky, more of a groove and, unlike the others, the one most likely to last. . " - /.

SIMON J GRIGG