BEATS OF LOVE 

74. 12 Tribes (Chicago Funk Dub Mix) by Boo Williams

IN ALL earnestness I believed the scene was going to transcend into other musical dimensions at the turn of the millennium, but was slowly waking up to the fact that nothing would sound as futuristic as Basic Channel, UR, Carl Craig, 430 West, or, Red Planet records, ever again.  

Despite what forums discuss or fanzine writers tell us, we're basically dancing on the embers of what was a late 20th century phenomenon. Nightclubs are not and never have been utopia. Despite a combination of the right drugs and the right people in certain spaces, giving us that impression.

Another late 20th century phenomenon, the rise of the hippie entrepreneur, brought about a seismic shift in the music industry that has seen the artist become little more than a commodity. Draped in logos and other visual signifiers, the music is easily lost. It's why we like the U.S. underground dance scene so much despite the duplicity and greed. It has anti-corporate stamped into its DNA and is in the main light years ahead in terms of its fluidity, rhythm, and funky, soulful experimentation. The prevalent features of its musical expression. 

Fortunately for us, transient bliss, the byproduct of truly feeling these amazingly vibrant sounding records, is a condensed into a moment sort of utopia. Whilst nothing sounds as futuristic, our greatest pleasure is often still that transient bliss that can only ever be attained by truly feeling the music.  

This track personifies the distinctive sound of second generation Chicago house master Boo Williams. His Frankie sample is also reminiscent of another great Guidance cut Freaky (Chaos) by the genius that is Larry Heard, but this track drives harder and has more musical interplay within its changing tempo. I thought his work on Relief was top banana, but this is driving me even crazier. It's great. 

In fact, dancing on embers has never felt so good. Transient bliss, indeed. 

  

 

BEATS OF LOVE 

73. The Banger Dictionary compiled by Finn McCorry

MET ANNABEL in 2018 and she and Adam were brill. Such a shame I was given an ultimatum from the missus when I finally found my way home. Either stay out indefinitely or stay married. I've not had a lost weekend since. 

Annabel, beside being an ace DJ, co-owns 20k and a dead sheep, my online go-to zine seller, which sends me copies of Dance Policy and Faith. Even throwing in old E-Bloc pamphlets I'd previously discarded with acid smiley inserts. These are now my main portals into a culture that was an integral part of my life, as the writing is always sharp and illuminating. 

Especially an amazingly powerful piece written passionately and thoughtfully by Kareina Daswani in the latest copy of a DP. After reading it, I dug out some immersive, sultry, dark techno, and imagined it was nearly dusk.  

The digital-age has rewound us back to the pre-war years. Not quite as bad as killing one another, but a far cry from building a better Britain with everybody's well being at its heart. Which actually happened in the post-war years. Now we just cost shit as cheaply as possible, dehumanize folk, and dumb-down everything. Sounding uncannily like Arthur Daley with their seedy sales pitches to the public, the political class are engaged in a vacuous conflict, whilst defending insane levels of greed and selling us absolute crap. 

Thank God then for zine sellers for injecting truth and heart into the marketplace. And thank God for Finn McCorry and this, his massive contribution to the literary canon. An A5 resource in the form of a tactile dictionary; synonyms for banger, that help us improve our dance music banter. 

The kind of booklet you never knew you needed until it's cradled in your hand. Unsurprisingly, the word sultry isn't there.  

https://20kandadeadsheep.com/products/the-banger-dictionary

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BEATS OF LOVE

72. San Francisco Night (Instrumental) by Chris

WAS WALKING to work the other day and unfathomably the synth line to Lady in Red came into my head and then I pictured my mother and father dancing together in sync to it. 

I say unfathomably coz if my mother was still alive, and I asked her about whether she ever danced to it she'd scrunch her face up and reply 'don't be absurd.' I can only imagine that I was bunking off school a lot at the time of its release and it got lots of telly play so unwittingly found a way deep into my subconscious. 

I was reared on chart music but then rebelled against it until Luvdup started creating special pop moments in their sets. Moonboots and Balearic Mike became the most renowned exponents of this DJ habit, with Sean Rowley even making a brand out of it. However, Jim created the ultimate moment when he played Sledgehammer.  

I tasked myself with making my own pop moment out of Lady in Red. Reasoning that it couldn't possibly have found its way into my psyche if it was completely crap. The seven inch doesn't cut it. Steve Coogan famously stated, 'it's what stupid people dance to at weddings.' His kindest statement about it. 

No dubs, instrumentals, or extended remixes, meant I was looking at cover versions. The Shadows were promising but too much guitar, ditto the Flamenco covers. Lovers Rock covers were only slightly less saccharine than the original, as were Reggae versions. James Last was the pick of a poor selection of fast tempo orchestral efforts, but still disappointing. Finally, I found myself playing dreary Panpipe excursions before calling it a night and admitting to myself that it's completely crap. 

No doubt after posting this somebody will share that elusive Mediterranean dub mix to prove me wrong. In the meantime, this Chris will more than do. 

Pure heat and a longtime want finally reissued by the ever dependable Edition Hawara label. Austria's finest tastefully lose the confederate flag from the original sleeve whilst pressing it loud and clear. I prefer this instrumental with its gloriously spangled synth lines that appear looser and really shine through on what is the finest winter warmer at hand. 

Hopefully next week when I walk to work these loose synth lines will come into my head. Giving me some much needed spring in my step.