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Innervisions - IV 16

There’s one obvious choice for you. The Laurent Garnier record has already received enough buzz without me adding to it. However, I have decided to ignore this fact and talk about it anyway. Sue me.

So the story is that Dixon was playing with Laurent Garnier at Panorama Bar and suddenly the man with the red face dropped a track that we now know as “Back To My Roots”. Dixon immediately proposed signing it to Innervisions. “Panoramix” was apparently (see Dixon interview) made the weekend right after they had signed “Back To My Roots”. You could say the man is on a row, considering the number of records he has put out in the recent years (hint: not many).

“Back To My Roots” is sort of a tribalish epic production. What amused me was Dixon’s comment on a message board (Faith Fanzine, I believe it was) about the track being shit for the first 8 minutes. Hell, that’s about as long as your regular track gets. Anyway, if you listen to the track, you can probably see what he meant. If “Back To My Roots” could have just as easily been produced 10 years ago (and that’s a good quality, by the way), “Panoramix” is the more contemporary piece of music on this EP. When I first heard it, I presumed it to be a remix of Sebo K’s “Horizons” and later learned I wasn’t the only one to make that connection. However, it’s also got a clear touch of “The Man With The Red Face”, for nostalgic purposes.

For me, it’s another rock solid Innervisions installment.

A: Back To My Roots (original Afrodiziac mix)
B: Panoramix

Listen at Juno
Buy at Juno

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Sonar Kollektiv - SK170CD

This little gem is something for you to start your weekend with - a perfectly orchestrated version of the nu-trance anthem that whisked Âme and the Innervisions gang up into hype heaven. Pizzicato strings take over the melody that all the office geeks with bags under their eyes were whistling in 2007 after living out their rave dreams over the weekend. The drummer probably had to have his arms amputated after all the hardcore cymbal action. Any more drama and we’d be watching “The Bold & The Beautiful”. I dare you to play it out in a club (let me know what happened).

Sonar Kollektiv Orchestra is a band (or actually much more than a band) made up of label artists and friends. On the album you will find Sonar Kollektiv anthems from the past and the present.

By the way, Âme is a French word, so pronounce it like one.

Buy/Listen at Sonar Kollektiv website

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It’s been quite slow lately music-wise, or maybe that’s just me (probably…). Some of the tunes that have caught my ear have been the DJ Bone “No Sleep” record (featured in Little White Earbuds) or the Nick Holder “Time” remixes (I’m thinking Manuel Tur rather than Wahoo).

But as long as it’s slow, I might share with you two classic tracks.

Pepe Bradock – Life
Atavisme - ATA 001

This one has been creeping back into my sets recently, showing off its timelessness. The use of the Prince’s “Purple Rain” samples is downright magnificent. This is why I forgive the man tracks like “Rhapsody in Pain”.

Joe Claussell – Agora E Seu Tempo (The Acroostic Percussion Version)
Spiritual Life Music - SLM PRO 11

This is an ultra-rare version of the beaufiful Mental Remedy (Joe Claussell + Jephte Guillaume) song. A couple of weeks ago, I walked into the MVE shop on Berwick St, London, and there it was, as if to remind me of my Spiritual Life Music obsession years ago. Fate, I presume. And I didn’t even have to pay the usual 50 pounds that it goes for on eBay. Shouts go out to Mr Madis Nestor who first turned me on to this one. I hope you like your percussion intros long.

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