I really struggled to pick a favourite mix of the year. Eventually I narrowed it down to this and Peach’s infamous ‘House Pumper’s’ Boiler Room set. Whilst each have their own unique merits, (it was refreshing to see a DJ cultivate such raw energy on a Boiler Room dance floor, where it’s depressingly rare to see people really let themselves go), after re-listening to them multiple times, I eventually plumbed for Mafalda’s soul-stirringly beautiful mix. Continue reading “Mix of 2018: Mafalda Dekmantel #172”→
Label: Mecca Recordings (Album), Track Mode/Alleviated Records (12″) | Year: 1999 (Album), 2000 (12″)| Discogs: Larry Heard – Genesis, Larry Heard – Missing You (12″)
The standout track from the oft overlooked 1999 albumGenesis – “Missing You,” a soulful, emotive, (and of course) deep house record is quintessential Larry Heard.
Widely acclaimed as the man who proved crucial to the development of house music and for “putting the deep into deep house,” what is there left to say about Larry Heard that hasn’t already been said? As Resident Advisor’s excellent mini doc explains “from the beginning he was pushing the musical boundaries of house music forward,” incorporating musical techniques such as minor 7th chords (such as on “Can You Feel It”), that at the time broke new ground for a genre that had previously been dominated by the more basic “jacking” style of production.
“Missing You” is no exception to this. Despite appearing on an album that saw Heard slightly depart from his usual tone and experiment with a more electro sound, it is the track that most closely resembles the style that first attracted fans to Heard’s productions in the mid 80s. No surprises then that it’s also my favourite track on the album. I’ve always been attracted to soulful, emotive dance music – music that not only makes me want to boogie, but that that I also, for whatever reason, am able to connect with on a higher, more emotional level, that actually makes me feel something. That’s why I’ve never really been a fan of most euro-disco records, because with their greater emphasis on a relentless beat, the soul and emotive feeling found in tracks such as Candi Staton’s – “When You Wake Up Tomorrow” (one of my all-time favourite disco records) often gets lost, or is sufficiently diluted that they almost sound mechanical.
Anyways, whilst I am slightly digressing, there is some relevance to all this, because for me Larry Heard is the unrivalled master of imparting emotion, soul and spirituality into house music. What is so remarkable is that he’s been able to do it so consistently for over 30 years – whilst 2018’s Cerebral Hemispheres was not his most outstanding work, tracks such as “Crying Over You” and “City Streets” for example, are still deeply atmospheric.
Neither of those however, come close to the moody, haunting and bittersweet feeling of “Missing You.” The track begins ominously with thudding kicks and a dark plodding bass line, whilst the sound of waves and echoing bird calls add to the eerie atmosphere. A high pitched, bubbling synth emerges, but it is not until Heard’s ethereal vocals begin that the tone slightly brightens. Heard’s vocals are understated and calm, and whilst the lyrics appear deceptively simple, their meaning is anything but, displaying the full anguish of unrequited love. Heard’s trademark crisp percussion keeps the track ticking along, as more dreamy synths are introduced, and just as it seems as if the tone is set to decisively shift into one that is decidedly more positive, it does the reverse. The listener is jolted as the record returns to the ominous sounds of the track’s opening, as Heard strips away all but the deep, menacing bass line, the sound of waves crashing, and the eerie cries of seagulls before once again introducing a piercing, high pitched synth (a metaphor for Heard’s own piercing cries maybe?). Indeed the outro sounds much like the introduction, perhaps to emphasise the ongoing emotional strife that Heard himself continues to endure over his mystery lover (or maybe just because it sounds really good?). Either way it’s a really thought provoking way to close the track, one that leaves it without a clear sense of resolution (that’s added to by the gradual fade out).
It’s really hard to pick a favourite Larry Heard record, because quite simply there are so many amazing tracks to pick from. This one is definitely up there (as is Heard’s “Jazz Cafe” remix of it – an awesome, sparse house track driven by melancholic piano chords) as it brilliantly showcases the genius of the man, especially his ability to create soulful, deep, and down right moving house music. Long live Larry Heard.
Without his trusty Salsoul Orchestra behind him, Vince Montana Jr. still manages to deliver one of the all time great disco records, living up to his reputation as “the Godfather of Disco.”
You could be mistaken for believing that the success of the Salsoul Orchestra was largely attributable to the sheer skill of musicians such as Earl Young or Norman Harris, and undoubtedly you’d make a convincing case. What this record proves however, was that it was Vince Montana Jr. who was ultimately at the heart of the Salsoul Orchestra’s iconic groove. Indeed it is perhaps no coincidence that after leaving Salsoul in 1978, there was a marked decline in the quality of the records they released. Regardless, Goody Goody was the group that Montana Jr. formed with his daughter Denise and (I believe) the Atlantic records in-house band. Together they released one album, the self titled – Goody Goody in 1978. All the tracks are penned by Montana Jr. and it is one of those rare disco records that absolutely oozes quality throughout. I’m sure most of you will be aware of It Looks Like Love, Montana Jr’s magnificent homage to Chic, with it’s iconic guitar hook and captivating introduction.
Yet it is the LP’s first track, #1 Dee Jay that I find myself constantly returning to. Killer introduction aside, it’s a classic Montana Jr. production. One can hear the influence of his earlier work with the Salsoul Orchestra (and Gamble & Huff before that) in the first half of the record, which bears hallmarks of classics such as The Salsoul Orchestra – It’s Good For The Soul, particularly in the ways in which the rumbling bass line and conga interweave and interact rhythmically. All the while however, a powerful percussive line bubbles away underneath, and after two vocal verses the intensity grows as the punchy kick suddenly comes to the fore, underpinning a lovely, piercing saxophone hook. Whilst different instruments drop in and out, the record never loses this intensity, largely down to the constant, almost galloping latin percussion, which creates a constant sense of motion and contributes towards the tracks timeless danceability.
For me this track encapsulates all that was great about Vince Montana Jr.’s music. Montana was able to combine and layer a multitude of different instrumentation, whilst all the while never losing sight of that which is so hard to define, but is ultimately crucial to any dance track – the groove. With Goody Goody, Montana shakes off much of the cheesier side of his earlier Salsoul releases (Salsoul Christmas springs to mind) and instead deliver an LP packed to the rafters with driving bass lines, thumping percussion, and gorgeous, lush instrumentation. Coming from “the Godfather of Disco,” this is an offer no legitimate disco fan could refuse.
Thoughtful pop from the mellow giants of the 1980s debut album.
There’s so much to like about Sade. Whether it be lead singer Sade Adu’s effortlessly smooth voice, (a voice so gentle it almost seems to be whispering sweet nothings into your ears), or the bands’ ability to bridge the gap between soul, jazz and contemporary pop music, Sade deservedly take their place as one of the most critically and commercially successful acts to emerge out of the 1980s. Continue reading “Sade – Hold On To Your Love (1984)”→
Last month I was beyond stoked to be invited down to Liverpool by the Melodic Distraction team to host a show on their station. I’ve got nothing but respect for what the team have built over the last few years, and it’s been really awesome to see Melodic go from strength to strength. In that regard, and given the amazing content they regularly feature on their radio station, it was an immense privilege to even be asked to present a show. Continue reading “Good For The Soul on Melodic Distraction (October ’17)”→
What better way to kick off this blog than with the very track that inspired it. I’d previously sworn by Walter Gibbons’ barnstorming Disco Madness remix of this track, refusing to believe that the minimalistic instrumentation and thumping percussion, (a recurrent feature of many of Gibbons’ remixes) could be surpassed by the original mix, released three years earlier in 1976. The Gibbons mix is an undoubted floor-filler, perfectly encapsulating the raucous nature and carefree abandon that characterises many a dance-floor. Yet the original, although striking a more gentle, yet equally as groovy tone, is a simply fantastic piece of early disco, which I’d almost go as far as to say I prefer to the Gibbons remix (sorry Walter!). Continue reading “The Salsoul Orchestra – It’s Good For The Soul (1976)”→
It's Good For The Soul 