Cor’ the blimey missus, what have we here then? It’s like opening a Christmas present and finding, not one, not two, but four oranges instead of the walnut you were expecting. The innovative label Rekids have leaked this sampler in aid of their Revolution album, which will be at large amongst the general public later this month. If these tracks are a sample of the quality of the album itself, it’ll be a cracker.... but hey ho we're getting ahead of ourselves here.
First up is veteran jock and producer Tedd Patterson’s remix of Runaway’s Brooklyn Club Jam A moody, growling bass, hypnotic groove that shakes bass bins like their having a nervous breakdown and relentlessly propels itself on a tribal journey into the deep. Somehow old skool and modern, Brooklyn Club Jam is super clean, so every element can be picked out, from the metallic stabs to the last detail of the complex percussion, a monumental groove drawing from many elements.
Next up Boola takes Radio Slave’s Tantakatan and grooves it out to eight minutes of bouncy drumwork. The single piano note and cool pad are retained to give it some texture and feeling, to this viable alternative to Radio Slave’s original.
Billed third in the all-star cast is the production chameleon Spencer Parker who offers up a bit of a roof-raiser in the guise of YOGOTO. Somehow YOGOTO manages to keep one foot in the past and one if the future by combining a proper old-skool house flavour, funky chants and a big ass chunky bassline all wrapped around a bang up to date drum section. Programmed into the right part of your set this could be a big tune.
Fourth in line and showing the left of field thinking of Rekids comes Cristian Vogel's remix of Jjak Hogan’s Devo; a mental rhythm fuelled two-step vocal track which won’t be to everyone’s taste, but makes awesome iPod fodder or if you're lucky enough to have a forgiving floor a fantastic stand out track.
All in all a top quality sampler that showcases the quality and variety of this, individual, free-thinking electronic music label. The album itself will feature three CD’s, one CD of unmixed Rekids tracks, one of remixed Rekids tracks and the other a DJ segue by Spencer Parker himself. Never accept a walnut when you can get an orange; remember Rekids and remember Revolution. Watch this space for an album review…