The Magic 12 - Return

Electro and not that rubbish you hear branded as electro and played by generic house djs. This is proper B-Boy electro form Magic 12 on the Beau Monde label. I don't know a lot about the artist and apart from one other 12 I have nothing else by him but I don't think he has a large catalogue under this alias, he did release some excellent funk and disco under the name Uriel though. This 12" features two tracks 'Return' and 'Revenge' with both being on the old scholl electro tip. Return is slower paced with snappy drums, some funky assed synth stabs, simple bass loops and vocal drops. While you could easily picture breakers poppin and lockin to this 25 years ago you could also see it being dropped today next to some slower detroit techno or in a set of stripped down disco and electrofunk. I LOVE THIS!!

Kenny Jammin Jason & Fast Eddie Smith - Can You Dance (Bonus Jack)

This edit/remix is on the flip of the 'Can You Dance' single released on London label Champion in 1987 (originally released on American label D.J. International Records). The edit drops large chunks of cheese from the original and strips it down to basic Chicago house style drums with 80s electro bass while keeping the hands in the air synth riff from the original. This is a great DJ tool to drop into a set and leaves plenty of room to add vocals or chop in another track.

Alaska - Bailando (Balearic Matey)

25 years old and still sounds great!!
This came out on Spanish label Syncopate in 1987 and is typical of the early UK acid house sound. Chunky drums, dirty 303, cheesey sample drops and piano riffs. My only gripe is it's too short at just over 4 mins. This came out before i was into dance music but I've always loved acid house and what it went on to influence. One thing i love about this track is how it uses samples in a simple but effective way. Part of me loves productions with beautiful analogue synths but a bigger part of me loves sampling. Give me an MPC and a 808 over a room full of synths any day (though a room with them all would be heaven).

DSR- Miami - We're Going Deep

Warp, easily one of the best electronic labels ever!! Not only are they great but they still put out amazing music over 20 years later. I would be here all night if I started getting into the quality of warp so onto the track. This 4 tracker is the 19th release on warp and from 1991, all four tracks are deep slices of warm techno. The track I have selected is a slow paced sleazy number that wouldn't sound out of place dropped in a set today. You have a typical bassline popular everywhere from Chicago to Sheffield in the early 90s and on labels such as trax. Add to this a pitched down vocal and a piano loop and you have a majestic slow paced techno groover any DJ would be proud to drop.

Bitin' Back - Boombox

The time is 1991 and the artist is Micky Finn, a name usually associated with rave and jungle but this 12" sees him more chilled and funky. The track sounds like a lot of electro B-boy breaks releases that were popular form 89-92 and then made popular again at the turn of the millenium with big beat and artists like the freestylers. I could see many breakers going wild to this back then with its tasty bassline (sounds very like adamski) and its punchy breaks. The flip 'She's Breaking Up' is equally as good and in the same electro vein.

A Tribe Called Quest - Butter (Vixen Dub)

This remix is from the B-side of 'Luck Of Lucien', a  12" single taken from the 'Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveller' Compilation. Released in 1991 the remix would have been classed as hip house though it's more 80s P Funk and less driving than say 'I'll House You' by The Jungle Brothers. I love the simplicity of this track combining a squelchy electrofunk bass, vocal snippets, percussion loops and lyrics cut from the original and dropped in.

Saint Etienne - Like A Motorway (Dust Brothers Remix)

I used to love these type of releases, a 12" single with a variety of remixes covering different genres. When this came out in 1994 I was buying everything from acid techno to west coast hip hop to ambient pop and the Heavenly label releases were always a must buy. Not only because my local record shop used to sell most of their singles for 99p but because they had such a diverese output which is evident here. The original would now be classed as lush electro pop and it's joined by a Hardfloor style remix by David Homes and a sparse leftfield electronica mix by Autechre that i used to play on 45 and pitched down. The track i picked though is by The Dust Brothers (who became The Chemical Brothers). Dust Brothers were a big influence on my DJing and my music tatses back then, i loved how they took breaks and elements of hip hop, dub, techno and rave and created their own sound. Their live at the Heavenly Social is still one of my fav mixes ever. This remix is prob best described as breaks and you can see how their sound went on to influence so many artists in the mid to late 90s.