Ten years ago, not many people had heard of Steve Bug outside of his native Germany. Nowadays, he’s one of the most in-demand house and techno DJs around, has brought the world one of the brightest musical stars of recent years in Trentemøller, and runs 3 very successful and acclaimed labels – Poker Flat, Audiomatique, and Dessous. A decade on, and the label is celebrating its 10th birthday with this double CD, rounding up some of the finest tracks from its impressive back catalogue.
Innocent Lovers set the town with the easy-going I Can Forget, little there but fluffy, warm, sustained pads and simple, hovering bass – a delicate treat whose simplicity sums up much of Dessous’ brilliance. Charles Webster’s dub of Vincenzo’s We Wait, Right Here drafts in warm, dubby, Detroit chords and twinkling toplines, and techy undertones in the percussion – the vocal and sax are a bit naff, but otherwise, its gorgeous music that caresses you with its soft tones. Another US legend, Larry Heard, joins in the fun on his mellifluous After Dark Club Mix of Glowing Glisses’ On The Bridge, bongos lazily tumbling over each other and providing a flowing contrast to the dubbed-out vocal, and Swag represent in a UK style with their livelier, tech house dub of Gamat 3000’s Whispering.
A certain M:Landsky shows us his former disco roots in the sexy Wild Dub, Efdemin delights with his deep, womb-like techno take on Henry & Denis’ Catabolism, and a 16-year old John Dahlbäck delights with the fluffy, ambient tinged Blue Love. Muddyloops’s Lov Me is an undoubted highlight, a porno-disco slinky groove that would sit happily on any discerning chill-out compilation (and I mean that in a good way). Unfortunately our promo copy didn’t deliver the full 20 tracks from the first disc, so we can’t really say anything other than that. The Bonus mix from Kevin Yost is treat, but has lots of the same tracks as the first Disc, which is confusing.
It’s not mindblowing, world-changing music that Dessous has ever been about, nor has it always been about satisfying the dancefloor. What it has always guaranteed however, is groovy, sexy, beautiful house music – and this compilation will satisfy anyone whose fancy that description tickles.
Tracklisting:
< EM>
CD1
01. Innocent Lovers: I Can Forget...
02. Vincenzo: We Wait, Right Here (Charles Webster Dub Mix)
03. Phonique: 99 & A Half featuring Alexander East (I:Cube Remix)
04. Zoo Brazil: The Talk
05. Steve Bug: Soulin‘ Deep
06. Glowing Glisses: On The Bridge (Larry Heards After Dark Club Mix)
07. Gamat 3000: Whispering (Swag’s Softly Spoke Dub)
08. Vincenzo: The Way Of Thinking
09. M:Landsky: Wild Dub
10. Frankman: Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth
11. Henry & Denis: Catabolism (Efdemin Remix)
12. Tigerskin: In Your House
13. Ryo Murakami: Monument
14. St. Sebastian: Drunk Lover (MyMy Remix)
15. D’julz: Berlingo ( ÐTanzmann and Stefanik Remix)
16. Phonique: Bang
17. René Breitbarth: Le Groove Rhodes
18. John Dahlbäck: Blue Love
19. Muddyloop: Lov Me (Instrumental)
20. bgb: Wha..Kiddin
CD2
Bonus-Mix by Kevin Yost
01. Martinez: Sunchaser
02. Muddyloop: Lov Me (Instrumental)
03. Diadem: Mel
04. Steve Bug: Soulin‘ Deep
05. Phonique: Fake It (Frankman
06. M:Landsky: Wild Dub
07. Frankman: Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth
08. Pete Moss: Naturally Mine
09. Innocent Lovers: I Can Forget ...
10. Vincenzo: The Way Of Thinking
11. Vincenzo: We Wait, Right Here
12. Phonique: 99 & A Half feat. Alexander East
13. JussiPekka: Forced
/EM>