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NG 12" Reviews

Details of how to get a tune reviewed are at the bottom of the page.

The Freaks - Blam (Classic)

Taken from The Freaks debut album 'Blam' is a bumpy house affair. Skip the original and go straight to the Derrick Carter Mix. Carter keeps the bump of the original mix but adds a driving energy to it to create a track which interests and moves at the same time. A truly devastating track when played at the right time. Full marks for Derrick. 5/5

Rulers Of The Deep - Rise/Advantage (Distance)

Distance are on form this year and this follows a good string of releases. 'Rise' is a chunky and dark affair with a spoken voice sample the only stand out point apart from the occasional dreamy breakdowns. 'Advantage' is similar to an early UK garage vocal track. Skippy beats and a UK garage style vocal are the name of the game here. Another good Distance release. 4/5 

Shakedown - Lovegames (Kitsune)

Something different from Shakedown this time. A deep and techy house style tune with an understated male vocal. That doesn't mean that they don't pull it off. They do. In fact, this is the best vocal track I have heard to come out of France since 'Devotion' by Mambo Urbano. 4/5

Jon Cutler - Alone (Distant Music)

One of the most consistent US Garage produces pops up for yet another quality outing on Distant. The usual smooth production of Cutler is present alongside a female vocal. Nothing new but sure to be played in all the US Garage clubs where most of Cutlers material is a mainstay. 3.5/5

David Guetta  vs. David Bowie - Just For One Day (Virgin)

Most of you will have heard this by now. This has been around since Ibiza last year but the producer had remained a secret until of late. This is just the type of track that could send the Space Terrace into ecstasy. Peak-time house at its very best. The Bowie sample is very blatantly used yet it doesn't detract from the pounding energy the tune creates.

Tim Deluxe - Less Talk More Action (Underwater)

If ever a track has met a mixed reaction, this is it. Panned by some yet praised by others it seems the world is undecided over Tim's latest effort. The track is very similar to 'It Just Won't Do', making use of a nagging riff and a powerful vocal but it doesn't grab you quite so quickly. The main riff is very similar to that of Tim's Saffron Hill tune but of a slightly more latin style. It starts off promisingly enough but then you hit the main obstacle. The female vocal is almost gritty, nowhere near as good as Sam Obernik's efforts on 'It Just Won't Do'. It takes numerous plays to get your head round it. Overall this tune is good but definitely not earth shattering. Should do well in Ibiza though. 4/5

John Ciafone - Everyday (DJ Gregory Mix) (Boombastic)

It is over a year since the original was released yet it is still extremely popular with many of the lighter house and garage DJs. Gregory takes his usual block party approach to production making the track more atmospheric and chunky which will help bring this track to a wider audience. 4/5

Shakedown - Drowsy With Hope (Defected)

The 'Original Mix' of this tune arrived a couple of months ago, it was an old school style breakbeat affair. Now with summer beckoning Shakedown want to emulate the success that they had with 'At Night'. Or so it seems, the new mix is almost a carbon copy of last years chart hit. No points for originality but it will still be quite popular. Also included on this package are new mixes of 'At Night'. Kid Creme re-edits his mix from last year whilst Jask provide a deeper, more seductive mix. 3/5

Coldplay - Clocks (Cosmos VIP Mix) (White)

Listeners to Chris Moyles' moderately funny Radio 1 show will have heard countless remixes of this Coldplay track however this is by far the best. The tune hits the breakdown and the piano solo plays,  then a smooth yet energetic groove (Think Funk D'Void's 'Diabla') is comes in. Undoubtedly one of Tom Middleton's finest moments and a sure fire crowd warmer for the summer. Supposedly going to be the B-Side to the next Coldplay single. 5/5

D'Julz - Ze Theme (20:20 Vision)

D'Julz has slowly gained a reputation over the last few years following releases like 'Reversal Luv' and 'Acid Tricks'. 'Ze Theme' is a breezy track which won't find its way onto Pete Tong's playlist but will definitely be used by many a house DJ who likes to go that little bit deeper. 3/5

Alexi Delano - Round And Round (Strata Recordings)

Two twelves to choose from here with the second one (remix 12") being favourite. First up is the Metro Area mix which is a downtempo style affair. It bounces along nicely but doesn't make much use of Robert Manos' superb vocal efforts. Next up is the best of the three mixes, the Charles Webster Mix. Capitalising on the vocal, Charles creates a deep atmospheric house tune that is nothing short of excellent. J T Donaldson rounds things of with a more US Garage style mix. 4/5

Harry Romero feat. Robert Owens - Back In The Day (Subliminal)

This combination was never going to fail. Harry Romero produces a Mr. Fingers sampling old school style track to back the unmistakable vocals of house legend Robert Owens. One of the best tunes to emerge from Miami, this track is sure to be doing considerable damage in Ibiza come summer. 4/5

Audio Bullys - Turned Away (Grant Nelson Mix) (Source)

Mike Skinner has had unbelievable success under his Streets moniker over the last couple of years with his unique style of lyrics and you could be forgiven for mistaking this for his work. A Streets style vocal is placed over an dreamy sounding house groove courtesy of Grant Nelson. Gritty yet classy at the same time it plods along nicely without breaking a sweat. Not the most original tune this year but definitely one of the best. 4/5

Emma Warren - She Wants You Back (Stop Drop And Roll)

Gaining a reputation in Miami this track could well become a summer anthem. Chunky production and a stylish soulful vocal compliment each other nicely. A big tune for sure. 5/5

Saffron Hill feat. Ben Onono - My Love Is Always (Illustrious)

Any follower of house music will have this tune firmly implanted into their brain by now. A firm favourite with the more commercial jocks since before Christmas. One of the producers behind this track is none other than man of the moment Tim Deluxe and its very evident. The same snare rolls from his 'Love Story' remix are present along with a warm bassline and crisp drums. Ben Onono who has also collaborated with Futureshock recently turns in a catchy vocal however the tune is much cheesier than anything Mr. Deluxe has produced previously and borrows too much from his past productions to be classed as cutting edge. Definitely a big tune but it rests firmly on the wrong side of cheesy. 3/5

Lazy Grace - How Deep Is Your Love (Hed Kandi) [Sample]

The first release from Hed Kandi's venture into the singles arena. As you might have guessed this is a cover of the Bee Gees track which goes by the same name.  Listeners of the Hed Kandi broadcast on Jazz FM will be familiar with this track by now. Production wise its deep with warm pads making it a gentle affair. The vocal is pulled off in style complimenting the smooth tune resting underneath it. The Johnny Fiasco Mix keeps the deep feel of the original but makes it more dance floor friendly . 4/5 

Sam La More - Takin' Hold (Underwater) [Sample]

New from Darren Emerson's label is this futuristic piece of electronic funk. An energetic, heavily vocodered piece of house music suitable for both peak time house and progressive sets. On the flip side there is a darker dub making use of the guitar sample of the original. An interesting break from some of the less inventive tunes kicking around at the moment. 4/5

West London Deep - Gonna Make You My Lover (Future Groove) [Sample]

This high energy prog-tribal track has been around for over a year and a half featuring heavily in the sets of Fontaine, Tong and Lawler. The first thing you will notice is a slight similarity to King Britt's mix of Josh One's 'Contemplations'. Female vocal snippets are used to give more character to this track but it could have still been huge without them. Pete Heller is on remix duty providing his usual 'stylus trouble' touch giving the tune a more acidic feeling but it isn't a patch on the original. 5/5 

X-Press 2 - Muzikizum (Skint) [Sample]

Following remix 12"s of 'Call That Love' and 'Supasong' comes the Tom Stephan (Superchumbo) mixes of 'Muzikizum'. Now with the original being such a tough tune you would expect Stephan to try and take it in a different direction but he sticks to the vibe of the original. Heavy percussion and pounding bass are relentless throughout the tune. The dub mix injects some bounce but remains true to the hard vibe of the original. Not an essential package by any means but could come in handy when you want to go tougher on your crowd. 3/5

Jay-J - Keep On Rising (Defected) [Sample]

At the same time as a west coast house CD is released on Defected the old master himself releases a solid garage number to get us in the mood. The female vocal from Latrice Barnett is smooth however the production has a darker edge than Jay-J's usual garage offerings. The Chus and Penn Mix changes the mood by beefing up the production and gently warming the keys. Copyright provide the other mix which gives the tune a latin feel but again takes away the dark edge of the original. 4/5 

Octave 1 - Blackwater (White Label/suSU/Concept)  [Sample]

This tune has been around for ages now but we thought we would review the new version of it we have just got in. The mix that I have been playing is the 'Terence Parker Strings Mix' which is simply a strings mix of the tune but with Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech placed over the top. The production is good and the speech compliments the tune perfectly to create a must have tune for all house and garage DJ's. This mix can be found on white label at HTFR or on the superb suSU advanced sampler which was released last summer. 5/5

100 HZ - Waterfalls (Halo)  [Sample]

The first release from a new label owned by BBC 1xtra's Aaron Ross and the drum and bass collective Bad Company. With this sort of ownership you wouldn't be expecting a vocal house track but that is exactly what you get. The production is fresh and the vocal is the safe side of cheesy. If the label can keep up a constant string of tunes which have this sort of quality then it will soon become an essential label. 5/5

Gianluica Pighi - Opah Genesis (Rekawa Sound)

Haven't heard too much from this artist however he seems to have gained lots of support from famous DJ's such as Francois K and Kerri Chandler. The 'Original Mix' starts off well with a gentle latin guitar solo but you can't help but wince when the truly evil violin style sound kicks in. Its a shame really because apart from that the tune is excellent. All is not lost however because the 'Tribal' mix takes out the ugly violin riff and adds a more solid beat behind the track. 4/5

Sandy Rivera - I Can't Stop (Defected/Aurei)

Released last year as a B-side this track makes a welcome return on the Defected . Varying greatly from Sandy's last single 'Changes' this is a high energy peak time house tune with snippets of a female vocal scattered throughout the track. The 'Lab Rats Mix' improves the tune by tightening the production up and increasing the energy that is slightly lacking in the 'Original Mix'. 4/5

Reviews by Northern Groove's Adam Mac.

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