Daft Punk – Around The World (10 Hr Edit) [1997] April 25, 2012

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McYadYJJrYE]

Well, since its been a week or so, its time for the big reveal. Back to the USA we go which is why its been a bit sparse around here of late. So in honour, we have the 10 hour version of Around The World from Daft Punk. 10 hours, roughly the same length of time you’ll spend on a plane flying from London to the West Coast of the USA.

On to the track, well its the seminal Daft Punk sound and production. I think most people got their start with Daft Punk after hearing this track, its definitely responsible for turning friends of mine to the house sound. Its not all that hard to see either, its catchy as HELL. Probably why the 10 hour version doesn’t sound wholly repetitive since it rearranges the composition enough to keep the track interesting.

So, as for the cans, we’ll be a bit quiet for the next few weeks while moving! See you on the flip side!

Whyte – Purple Haze [1990] April 17, 2012

A truly excellent laid back ravey cover of Hendrix’s Purple Haze with lots of uplifting piano filling in for massive guitar riffs. The addition of the sultry female vocals are a great touch but overall, this is all about the strings, the piano and the vocal. Such a great example of 1990 dance music. From [...]

Global Deejays – Lonely [2006] March 26, 2012

More Simple Minds I hear you cry? Absolutely sir! Another track featuring the Theme For Great Cities string riff. This time an offering from the huge, Global DJ’s. I have to say, I really do dig the vocal and its integration into the sample, it works perfectly!

Corporation Of One – The Real Life [1988] March 26, 2012

I reckon you could credit Corporation of One with the instigation of sampling Themes for Great Cities since this went stratospheric in 1988. I mean, hell it samples everything else as well! You have Queen, some Al Pacino from Scarface as well as that instantly recognisable string section from Simple Minds. But its how they are used that makes this track such a belter. Its breaks are clean and crisp, the moogy bass makes another appearance some four years before Farley and Heller got their hands into it.

Corporation of One was the pseudonym of Freddy Bastone, one extremely prolific remixer from the Bronx who’s work ranged from remixing Queen (surprise surprise), Bananarama, Brandy, Judas Priest, Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliott, Radiohead, Rod Stewart, and Taxi Doll.

Shapeshifters – Lola’s Theme (Main Mix) [2004] February 29, 2012

Love it or loathe it you cant deny that Lola’s Theme is a master-stroke of house production. Its literally draws upon 20 years of experience to craft a track so damn slick it will be heard for years to come. It has enough disco-y house to please the bunnies, the bass line is chunky enough to satisfy even the most devoted Prog house fan. The four to the floor is crispy and interesting and the vocal is absolutely perfect for the tune, synthy guitar business keep the tech heads happy and wrapping it up is that cracking build up smack bang in the middle. Guaranteed to lay waste to any dancefloor it comes into contact with. What a release this is.

Pamela Fernandez – Kickin’ In The Beat (Extended Mix) [1992] February 27, 2012

I reckon its about time we paid our repects to the excellent Pamela Fernandez and the seminal classic that is “Kickin’ In The Beat”. Yeah, that accapella has been caned within an inch of its life, found predominantly listed as remixes of this tune but often just snippets of the whole. You’ll find a bunch of those tracks listed on here but the highlights for me have to be Sublime’s The Theme and the Club For Life track from Chris & James. Fernandez’ voice is tailor made for house music and the Todd Terry remix of this just brings it all together with a funky but chunky house arrangement and the vocals stomping all over the track like Godzilla. There’s a bunch of other decent remixes out there, some house heavy tracks, some more progressive. Lets see if we cant list some of the better ones eh?

Sub Sub – Space Face [1991] February 8, 2012

Another classic release from Sub Sub who would later be known as “The Doves”. This was actually their first ever release, tapping the popular breakbeat sound and throwing a funky as hell bassline behind it and tarting it up with some seriously lush strings and a cracking synth/piano riff combo thats just perfect. Naturally, like the Coast EP that came after it, this was MASSIVE and still inhabits a soft spot in many a heart, mine included. Magic on wax this one.

Clivilles & Cole – Pride (A Deeper Love) [1992] February 6, 2012

How about we go the other way, this is a track that Aretha covered a couple of years AFTER Deborah Cooper lent her considerable vocal talent to this classic from Clivilles & Cole. This was a medium level hit for the boys, shame because its as classic a house track as any other. Lots of vocal talent from Cooper, lots of hallmark C&C funky bassline business.

A couple of years later, Aretha covered this track, turning it from a housey banger into a soul stormer. It got remixed a ton of times, even Cliviles and Cole did a couple of remixes, no doubt due to their original involvement. While all of Aretha’s mixes are great, her original is the better but I have to say, in this case, Deborah Cooper’s original vocals still sound better to me!

Technotronic Feat. Ya Kid K – Get Up (Before The Night Is Over) (The Wing Command Mix) [1990] January 30, 2012

Apologies for the lack of posts, ive been out of town for a couple of weeks and havent been near a computer for much of that time, bliss!

Anyway, this classic popped up on the iPhone this morning, a quality remix of the classic cut from Technotronic. Yes, the vocals havent aged well at all, were they really ever any good? However, the rest of the track is a cracker, a nice laid back bassline groove and the break lifted from Funky Drummer. Its even got the classic “woo yeah” sample in it, awesome.

Sneaker Pimps – Spin Spin Sugar (Armand’s Dark Garage Mix) [1997] November 25, 2011

Let us now take a moment to give this classic its due respect. Sure, its been played to death, now stalking dancefloors like some undead vinyl monster but when it dropped, it destroyed everything in its path. At the time, the UK was buckling under the weight of fluffy/disco house music, DnB was finding its feet after spending 3 years in the jungle, techno was as underground as it ever was. Globally, the scene wasnt all that much different, Balearic house beats dominating everywhere. Josh Wink masturbating on his 303 to create that abomination known as Higher State… Suddenly, out of nowhere, suddenly this was in every single club you found yourself in. Didnt matter if you were in your local Ritzy or at some underground house joint, somewhere, at some point in the night, this would drop. And its effect would be identical. It literally destroyed the crowd, the place exploding with half a decade of pent up fatigue with four to the floor house beats. It layed bassline work that would be emulated for years to come, everything from Speed Garage to Dubstep. A track that reminded us all that a really good tune isnt just something to dance too, but something to travel to another time and place with. Fucking masterpiece.