Alex Moschopoulos
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Alex Moschopoulos
ParticipantFor my first pick this week, I’m following King of Snake’s praise of Leftfield with their anthem Release the Pressure:
Title: Release the Pressure
Artist: Leftfield
Label: Hard Hands / ChrysalisYear Released: Original-1992, This version-1996
Genre(s): Leftfield, dub, trip-hopLeftfield has to be (in my opinion) one of the seminal acts of the 1990s, long respected for their groundbreaking work. I found it most amazing how British club magazines of the time (MUZIK & Mixmag) would literally put “Leftfield” as a genre in their music reviews…mainly because they created (at the time) a unique sound that couldn’t be easily labeled by the existing genres. Interesting note is in how Leftfield will perform live with instruments, like a band.
The 1996 version I posted is my personal favorite, as Leftfield has re-released the tune with added vocals by Cheshire Cat along with Earl Sixteen (who was on the original). Also added were ad libs by Papa Dee, which in my book gave the tune such an energy over its sophistication.
I actually first heard the tune when the documentary Pump Up The Volume popped up on the internet. It was played in Part 3, when they talked about the Criminal Justice Act being passed, and how the sound of house was changing and evolving over the 90s. There is a truth to that, as I think about where we were in 1990 and how much things just blossomed and grew beyond simple tunes for clubbing over those 10 years. One could only hope a Renaissance of such sophistication could emerge in these times of EDM.
Funny enough is I get a kick out of when my phone pops up Release the Pressure as I’m on my commute in the CTA subways.
ParticipantPatrick…here’s that tune by Liquid…some pretty cool classic hardcore. Always loved XL for Prodigy and SL2.
The Spectrum tune is cool as well. Gonna have to pick it up if it’s online for sale, and Nomad…who can forget him? What’s funny are how my friends and I thought he filmed the video at a show…rather than use a green screen.
King of Snake…looks like we’re both on the same wavelength today, as I’m going to post a Leftfield tune as well. Did you ever hear the original 1993 version of Song of Life? It’s one of those tunes I keep on my phone. Truly a classic.
ParticipantBtw…props to Phil and the crew for making this forum smart on picking up videos.
ParticipantHere’s a prime example:
Title: Lucky Star
Artist: Superfunk featuring Ron Carroll
Label: Paradise Ibiza / VirginGenre(s): Deep House
I first heard this tune a little over a year ago when my wife listened to a Slovak 80s/90s radio station online. Loved the smooth funky “Chicago” deep house sound of it, with Ron Carroll’s voice soaring. Was surprised to find out it came out in 2000…and I somehow missed it until now. Wilder was when I played it, my colleagues thought it was a new tune.
It’s amazing when a hidden gem of yesterday becomes a big hit to someone today.
ParticipantIn my book there’s no such thing as “new” or “old” anymore. Many times the populace will embrace a track they think is “new” and yet find out it was released years ago.
Why do I keep seeing M.O. as “Destiny’s Child II”? All I could think of is “when does the singer go solo?”
In any case, it’s some nice R&B. I’m curious if the club scene is veering away from EDM and embracing slower tempos again.
ParticipantGreat tune Kai…not my usual flavor, but I love the smooth island vibe of it. Wonderful summer tune!
ParticipantI’ll toss one more in before this is closed.
In that same DJ set from the Luminosity Festival, ReOrder popped up a rather killer tune that’s just a big blast of Acid on top of a rolling thunder of a trance beat and bassline…
Title: Next Level
Artist: Sneijder & Bryan Kearney
Label: SubcultureGenre(s): Uplifting trance with a splash of Acid
I just loved the tweaky 303 synth tossed in, even to the point I didn’t like the more “normal” trance synth tossed in halfway (and will cut it out when I play it in sets). Just one of those cool, pounding tunes you drop to break up the usual formula of epic synths and vocals. Play it loud.
ParticipantGreat stuff guys!
ParticipantWell, I think after today I’ll make it 1-3 tracks as a limit. I just didn’t want anyone flooding these topics with tunes.
Feel free to post if you have another tune to share today. I’m still working out the bugs in this little idea.
ParticipantWith all these great groovy vibes, I’m changing it up with my pick this week. I had a warm and sunny Monday, followed by a chilly and gloomy Tuesday…but some good trance will always pick up my spirits.
Ever since I encountered Slovak trance producer ReOrder, I’ve become a big fan of his high-energy sound and solid sophistication in his trance. Like Armin Van Buuren, I’ll now shop ReOrder’s sets for some choice picks to add to my own repertoire.
I caught a live set he did at last year’s Luminosity Festival in Holland, and was mesmerized with a release he did with Darren Porter, entitled The Void. I know it’s not totally new, but I can’t get enough of it. The teasing of the main synth is just cool to me…until the final reward of the full explosion.
Title: The Void
Artist: ReOrder and Darren Porter
Label: Who’s Afraid of 138?!Genre(s): Uplifting Trance
ParticipantThat is such a cool tune Bob…thanks for sharing it. It’s a total summertime chill by the pool anthem.
ParticipantGreat tune Gerd…so going to check out potential remixes of it.
ParticipantMoby back in those days was a real innovator. Great pick.
ParticipantStart off by keeping up (and contributing) to the Tuesday Music Share that happens in this very forum.
Beyond that, one big success for me is to follow producers and labels on whatever MP3 store you like to buy from. The “My Beatport” or “My Traxsource” functions…because they measure your sense of taste based on what you pick, and then toss you new stuff you might like. I know when I log into my preferred MP3 stores, I’ll go to my personal sections over the Top 100. The emails I get from those sites help also as a starting point.
I also like to “shop DJ sets” of DJs I like. When a DJ I like posts a set (with a tracklist), I’ll listen and pick up tunes from the set that I like.
ParticipantOk, I had a few picks in mind for this inaugural, but I’m keeping the limit at one, so here we are:
Title: The Real Wild House
Artist: Raúl Orellana
Label: BCM, Blanco Y Negro
Release: 1989I’ll confess, while I did get into house music in 1987 and finally started DJing in 1991, I had never hard The Real Wild House until a few years ago. I was watching a video of the acid house raves of the UK back in 1989, when this video opened up with Raúl’s masterpiece:
(is Phil in there somewhere?)Coming from Chicago, most of the old school I grew up with was more harder and “urban”. These lighter, more “Balearic” ideas were more reserved for the open-minded logic of Europe’s club and rave scene, and they never really caught a following in the Windy City. Beyond Sueño Latino, most Americans even into house music were not really catching much of this sound that seemed so natural to the Europeans.
There isn’t much easy information on Raúl Orellana, beyond him being a longtime DJ in Barcelona and record industry insider. He held a 12 year residency at Barcelona’s Studio 54 (no relation to the NYC one) and later released his own album full of Spanish guitar-infused dance music. The Real Wild House seemingly blew up in Italy and then later popped up in the UK’s Second Summer of Love. He’s currently a product manager of Blanco Y Negro (which explains why The Real Wild House is on Beatport) and still DJs to this day.
Personally, I just liked the flow of The Real Wild House, as it was a unique and different sound compared to much of the old school folks in my neck of the woods knew of. I like this tune so much that I even put it on my smartphone just to listen to. Makes me think of warm weather, and much of the gorgeous landscape Phil teases me with on Facebook. 😉
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