I can only think of two new tracks that really impressed me this year, so I’ll just talk about them.
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First up is Hunee’s remix of Virgo Four’s ‘It’s A Crime’, the original of which was on the 5 LP Resurrection boxset released by Rush Hour earlier in the year. I first heard this remix in Hunee’s superb mix for Beats In Space, and it demonstrates how good this track is that it managed to leap out of such a consistently good selection.
Most ‘new classic house’ is so bereft of personality that it ends up sounding merely manipulative; but this track absolutely bursts with energy and humour, the bassline and drum patterns recalling some of the best old house records, and all the other instruments (pianos, strings, trumpets?!) tumbling out of the mix in a way that makes you think Hunee must have made this on his birthday. The odd bit of laughter you can hear is infectious and totally earned. I think this is streets ahead of the contemporary competition, and it even gives a lot of the oldies a run for their money.
Virgo Four – It’s A Crime (Hunee’s Go Underground Remix) (Rush Hour, 2011)
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I’d describe it as a personal tragedy that I will probably never own this record. This is the price I pay for not following the release schedules as closely as I should, because even if you think you can dismiss 99% of new records (and you generally can), there’ll always be that 1% that are worth buying…and before you know it they’re selling for £70 on discogs.
I first heard this (knowingly at least) in a mix by my friend Andrew, and I sent him a message saying: “This one about 51 minutes in sounds in all respects like it could only be Ricardo…except for the vocal samples. Very confusing.” Pretty much sums it up really – it’s ‘Minimoonstar’ as floorfiller (did you say that, G?), a description I’m allowing despite it being completely ridiculous to anyone not already deep into this sort of thing.
I dream of being able to program bass sounds this pliable and drums this tight, and even then I’d be nowhere near because it has a swing to it you’d more readily associate with a Gemini record. I mean really!
Dan Andrei – Trebuie Da, Prima Incercare ([a:rpia:r], 2011)
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I have to acknowledge that even though I do think most new records are pretty lame, there really is no complaining about a year in which these two records were released. I think they’re amazing.
