Ray Keith – Special Technique [1996] March 2, 2012

Ah Ray Keith, what a legend, not many people mastered the darkness like Keith. This track is vintage Ray Keith too, with its light choppy breakbeat and brutal wobble basslines designed to ruin your speakers. A cracking cut of proper drum n’ bass this one.

D.O.M. – Acid war [1995] February 28, 2012

From one end of the spectrum to the other, this Acid Techno masterpiece from D.O.M rarely attracts anything but unapologetic joy and for good reason. This doesn’t destroy dance floors, this track obliterates them with extreme prejudice. Thats driving acid riff does not stop for the entire track, pulsing through you like a techno body snatcher from another world. There is no let up, no break, once it drops your in it for the duration. Your entire world is now nothing but possessed acid riffs, pounding bass drums and raw acid baselines. I cant adequately explain in words really just how incredible a track this is when heard live, surrounded by a sea of bodies but the reaction is just electric. An absolute masterpiece.

However, if this track is unbelievably not hard enough on the acid for you, there is a remix that may just fit the bill. Wah Wah’s Acid Intensifier Remix does exactly what it says in the title, it kicks the entire track up to 11 for seven minutes of the hardest acid bedlam your ever likely to hear. For me, its too much, the simplicity of the original is what makes it stand out for me, however I know many folks who ‘kin love the Wah Wah remix.

From Discogs
OK now, the original might come in handy every now and then, or serve for the odd occassion, but this whole release is all about the remixes, actually. For a change, yeah, the remixers really did elevate the original to whole new heights.

First off, Wah Wah’s remix is a blasting, who-can-count-that-fast-to-count-the-BPM-rate acid trancecore monster, with a hardcore touch moving at incredible velocity, with jarring and steel hammer hard acid riffs. Completely wild and off the hook. Definitely something to play during the peak of the night. No pauses, no breaks and no climaxes – just torrents of wild acid dropped for around five minutes after a brief intro and the initial build up.
Then comes Chris Liberator with one of his career calling cards. To my knowledge this is the first remix he’s ever done, and what a treat it is. Rolling, 4/4 percussion, with a funky as hell bassline as the sounds and acid leads slowly but steadily gain in loudness and intensity as they progress. By the time that final break comes, prior to the last stand-off, this track is already a wicked mental hospital, then for the last two minutes or so Chris goes completely mad, twists and tweaks with these insane acid melodies and plays a dozen tricks on your mind. Fun, danceable, funky and banging, and inclined to smack an ear to ear smile across your face – isn’t that what techno is all about? Absolutely essential for all lovers of London’s underground acid techno scene.

Cygnus X – The Orange Theme [1994] February 28, 2012

Now here’s a track that inspires either flat out joy or absolute hatred in all that know it. Its one of those tracks that has been played to death for years, for me, thats for good reason, its a blinder of a track. Its a guaranteed floor filler, appealing to a wide slate of electronic music fans and perhaps thats one of the reasons it inspires such hatred in many. Its origins are from “A Clockwork Orange”, made by one Wendy Carlos who in turn took inspiration from Henry Purcell’s “March” from “Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary”.

Hoffman, under the Cygnus X moniker simply cranked the speed up, chucked in a bass drum and wavey ravey acid riff underneath and stuck it on wax. As you’ve probably noticed, im a big fan of simple arrangements and this is no different. There are hundreds of remixes, many of which make small insignificant tweaks to capitalise on the popularity of the original. The standouts for me being the Man With No Name mix released in 2000;

and the VERY crowd friendly, Moonman’s Orange Juice remix from ’99

Regardless of your opinion of the track, its hard to deny that The Orange Theme played an integral part of the techno and trance scenes. For good or bad its a track that can transport me back to dark, smoke filled rooms with lasers in an instant.

From Discogs
One of the best classical techno-trance themes. My guess is that it is techno-trance at its best. Unforgettable, but then again we must remember that the original melody was created by the genious Purcell, and beautifully worked by Wendy Carlos on the “Clockwork Orange” famous theme.
—
Eye Q reached the pinnacle of the classically melodic euro trance milieu with the ‘The Orange Theme’.

The Original Mix takes the ‘Vernon’s Wonderland’ (Vernon) approach, but raises the stakes to a quick 147+ bpm, and adds background bubbly acid line to drive it through. The result is a classical music masterpiece that has been often copied and remixed, but never bettered.

That is not to detract anything from the remixes here though, they are both worthy treatments.
—
Recreating a song composed by a classical music composer (such as Beethoven) into an electronica tune sounds like a good idea in almost every instance, but I have yet to really find an example of this that has really worked. The Orange Theme, which is also the main theme from the movie “A Clockwork Orange”, is just not very good. Granted, the Solar Stone remix is good trance, with a great build, but the main synth line is just not that good. It really isn’t that catchy, and is just plain cheesy. There are better trance anthems out there that are worth owning in this format.
—
I’ve always considered “The Orange Theme” a turd in Eye Q’s catalogue. It’s crude, in-your-face and unsophisticated, and reeks of UK superclubs and “Now that’s what I call trance” compilations.

But the flip side of this original release is magnificent. See, “Introspective” is just that – a pensive, poignant track imbued with the kind of warm melancholy often heard in the best early 90’s trance. You needn’t waste your time on the overplayed A side – this is the real deal. Beautiful.

Capricorn – 20hz [1993] February 24, 2012

If your not smiling right now, you soon will be. What a classic this track is, an absolutely seminal piece of techno. It all starts innocuously enough but dont be fooled, its about to kick right off. The synth begins it slow, relentless build before in comes that cracking, industrial percussion set and your thinking, wait a minute, this sounds like it could get dangerous. Oh, trust me it does. Cue that fantastic synth build up to the crescendo, drop and your off again. Just when you think its about to get really naughty, in comes that string set, the beats get slightly tempered and before you know it, your arms are in the air and your grinning like a muppet. Its all good you think, im safe! Its going to keep bouncing along like this, its all good. Forget it, Capricorn has you and your taking one of the best techno rides of your like. A farkin’ masterpiece this.

Chris & James – Club For Life (The New Skool Balearic Mix) [1994] February 21, 2012

What a huge gurner of a track this one is, another classic from Stress Records. Its a guaranteed dance floor destroyer with that Piano riff just tearing the roof off when it drops. The accapella is a chopped up version of the fantastic Pamela Fernadez’ Kickin’ In The Beat, a guaranteed crowd pleaser however its used. The rest of the track is a progressive tinged arm-waving marathon. Yes, there’s panpipes for extra cheese but we can let that one go, it was 93 after all. Cracking!

Earl Grey – The Lick [1995] February 14, 2012

What a corker this track is. I had it on “Future Funk” (Its still in the Garage Dad!) a bloody excellent album of DnB and downtempo classics amongst other things. This is most definitely one of the stand out tracks on there, one of a core few really top shelf jazzy “Intelligent” Drum & Bass tunes. The track didnt really see a whole lot of club play, I think I heard it a few times in the chill out lounge at Goodbye Cruel World but for the most part, this is a track for the car or your lounge at 1am. The bass is pure and the break is clean and absence of any over the top synth work just make this a minimalist classic for me. Fantastic, The Lick indeed!

Aretha Franklin – Since You’ve Been Gone [1968] February 6, 2012

Alright, lets get this week started properly, with a monster slice of Aretha. Possibly my favourite of all Franklin’s tracks is probably not her most instantly recognisable. But if your looking for raw Aretha vocal destruction, this is the place to start. Its an absolutely incredible soul track, busting at the seams with funk and heart. Taken from the truly inspired Lady Soul album, which in itself is rammed packed of classics, for me this is the definitive Aretha Franklin track. I wish every break up sounded this good!

Freestyle & DJR – Ten 44 (1993) January 31, 2012

Whats say we get some hardcore around these parts? This cracker was caned by Sy, specifically at a great Dance Planet that I had a dat from. It takes the piano riff from a Thompson Twins track of all places and is the very definition of an uplifting piano track. The rest of the track is standard fare hardcore, choppy riff and banging breakbeat. But that piano just dominates the tune and thats no bad thing!

From Discogs
I can’t believe no one has written a review on this quality 12″.
Awesome records produced some of the best hardcore breakbeat records of 1993 and this has to be up there with the best of them.
Tracks B1 and B2 are great to add to this release, but this was all about the track “Ten 44”.
With a nice stompy kick drum running throughout the track and some classic drum loops it breaks down into a hands in the air piano and “that” classic sinewave bassline.
But it dont stop there as the next breakdown has an unbelievable almost haunting stab that just excels the track further. It eventually breaks down into a half time part which just allows you to catch breath! A fantastic release which is very well sequenced and arranged. This is a very sought after tune and no one is usually willing to sell. But if you do manage to get a copy you wont be let down…

Digital Boy – Ok. Alright. [1990] January 30, 2012

A cracking bit of stompy Belgian Techno released the same month as Technotronic and there isnt a single part of this track that could be compared to the other! Nothing but banging synths and that wonderful string riff in this fella. Frankly, im pretty sure the vocal hits in the track are only there because they needed a name for the track. A great example of proper Euro-Techno at its best.

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.