Tornado Wallace, Atjazz, Till Von Sein, Franc Spangler
Today, I’d like to share with you some of the prime cuts of deep house that have arrived toward the close of the year…and what a year it’s been, lots of great dancefloor tracks have been making their way through the speakers and into the soul, and at that time when guys like me are thinking about compiling the annual Best of 2010 list, it’s making those decisions a whole lot more difficult.
Tornado Wallace – Always Twirling – Always Twirling EP
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is a perfect example of such tough decision making. This Australian producer came practically out of nowhere earlier in the year with a remarkably solid and consistent (if not slightly homogeneous) debut EP on Delusions of Grandeur called Paddlin’ (who cares if it’s homogeneous if it sounds great across the board). Just recently, a new EP called Always Twirling was released, with not one but two tracks off the EP opening consecutive episodes of the 100K-listener-strong Freerange Podcast, which is where I caught wind of the Tornado (pun intended). I can safely say I haven’t been this impressed with a new deep producer in quite a while, and with producers that sport names that make them sound like boxers, (I’d like to see Iron Curtis vs. Tornado Wallace sometime), you can tell these guys aren’t screwing around. Provided Mr. Wallace doesn’t get married or have kids or get arrested or suffer a concussion in the ring, I think we can expect 2011 to be an equally exciting year for guys like him.
Fred Everything & Atjazz – Back Together (Atjazz’s Interpretation)
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Fred Everything and Atjazz, to me, represent the kinds of producers who have not only defined the progression of the deep house genre, but who have managed to continue to stay relevant, pioneering and advancing for over a decade. With hands extending into other zones like lounge, pure house, tech house, etc., it’s always great to hear when they return to the sounds they’re best known for with releases like this one, it’s called Back Together. The somewhat chilled vibe of those stabs is energized by the expertly-arranged and selected choice of various percussive elements, both digital and organic. As the track bounces along playfully, things build up, the sub-heavy kick is seasoned with a loop of bongos, and eventually, the stabs reveal the entirety of their personality. By the time the track is in full-swing a minute or two in, there is this wild mixture of hype dancefloor grooves and chilled, soothing melodies, and I remember why I’ve been completely hooked on tracks from both of these guys since first listen. Here’s to another decade of decadent, delicious deep house from Frédéric and Martin.
Till Von Sein – Injoy – The 61 Jamz
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This year, I discovered and promptly began raving about the Berlin-based Baalsaal offshoot imprint Suol, when I got my hands on Peter Horrevorts’ killer track Escapade. Since then, I’ve made a point to check out every release I’ve seen on Beatport, grabbing voraciously at anything that catches my fancy. Suol is one label who has done a remarkable job at curating the mature, refined aural aesthetic, which conveys a bit more friendship and camaraderie than drug-enduced euphoria on the the dancefloor, although I’m sure there’s been no shortage of the latter as well. This new release from Till Von Sein has a reserved, slightly low-key, highly organic personality. The range of tempo and timbre varies eclectically across the tracks comprising the EP, hinting at the slowly proliferating sense of appreciation for stylistic variety that seems to be helping to evolve and advance the label’s catalog. While there is still most certainly a specific aura that listeners will enter when they experience a Suol release, the diversity inherent within is becoming clearer with each successive release, and it leaves listeners like me hanging onto every release, satiated for certain, yet still hungry for more.
Franc Spangler – Forever and a Day – Forever and a Day EP
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I think Delusions of Grandeur might have a strong case for deep house label of the year if one looks only at the quality of the releases. They have long been purveyors of premium deep disco house, but this year especially, there has been a multitude of EP’s, with those from the likes of producers such as the aforementioned Tornado Wallace being just part of the full story. Franc Spangler released en EP that caught my eye for its title, Forever And A Day, which you might recognize if you’ve ever listened to any classic Detroit Techno. What you will start to see when you look at the range of recent releases on DoG, is a beautiful collage of music that all fits into the puzzle in ways that other labels, who simply release whatever they think might sell a copy or two, might not ever be able to understand. In a manner somewhat similar to Suol, there is a curated sense of controlled variety within the releases that paints a specific picture to listeners. It’s enough to drive you crazy and experience the titular delusions of grandeur, a sensation previously reserved only for the schizophrenic, now packaged into a convenient bite-size portion of sound that you can pop in when things get too monotonous and you need to stir things up a bit.
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