“We have
TINKLING THE IVORIES
crossed a
Piano house tracks to brighten up your summer
generation;
there is a
whole new
01. DENNIS FERRER ‘SINFONIA DELLA NOTTE’
bunch of
(STRICTLY RHYTHM )
A powder-keg. As soon as the slick synths and strings pull back
people
to reveal that piano drop, watch the fl oor detonate…
discovering
dance music
that now has
02. THE JUAN MACLEAN ‘HAPPY HOUSE’ (DFA/EMI)
a history.”
Over 10 minutes of shimmery summer haze, propulsive keys
and Nancy Whang’s evocative vocal.
Luke Solomon
03. AU REVOIR SIMONE ‘SHADOWS (MARK BRYDON REMIX)’
(MOSHI MOSHI)
Transforming the electro pop original into a stunning hands-
Greg Wilson
aloft piano stomp.
conversely the music that’s produced to “The ‘acid house’ craze, which reached its 04. KIKUMOTO ALLSTARS ‘HOUSE MUSIC’ (GIGOLO)
mimic the state of how we feel under the zenith in the so-called Summer of Love in Cam Farrar’s extraordinary tribute to the Chicago godfathers
infl uence of them. 1988, spread from the outskirts of London hits all the right buttons — and notes.
The fact that the horse tranquilising, to recession-hit Northern towns like Black-
disorientating ketamine has become such burn, where abandoned warehouses were
a popular poison in the last few years transformed from places of fruitless toil into
could be partly responsible for the minimal venues for all-night festivals of hedonism.”
techno explosion. On the other hand, drop- Garnett’s literal observation of adversity 05. RENATO COHEN ‘SUNRISE’ (SINO)
ping Es has always been to some extent directly breeding creativity and hedonistic Great slice of Brazilian funky house from Sao Paulo’s man-of-
linked to house music. abandon seems to ring especially true now. the-moment. Watch the piano drop!
DJ innovator Greg Wilson thinks that the The dancefl oor has always been a place of
sound of uplifting pianos in conjunction escapism and rather than be reminded of
with a euphoric chemical rush of ecstasy the grim economic outlook with gloomy
has been pivotal to the evolution of the grooves, clubbers, DJs and producers
music. naturally seem to be gravitating towards 06. PITTO ‘FEELIN’’ (REJECTED)
“It’s that whole uplifting aspect that a big more euphoric sounds as a release from the Filter disco with an unstoppable pounding key loop motif that
piano riff over a dance beat generates,” pressures of the everyday. keeps things moving in the right direction…
Wilson ponders. “In conjunction with “Clubbing and music has always been a
Ecstasy, it set off a euphoric chain reaction massive release for people when they’re
on the dancefl oor. down,” thinks Will Saul. “It’s also relatively
"The piano is the main instrument in cheap, so will be the one thing that people
classical music so maybe there’s some deep save what’s left of their disposable income 0 7. PERMANENT VACATION FEAT KATHY DIAMOND ‘TIC TOC’
rooted connection here, something embed- for.” (PERMANENT VACATION)
ded in the European psyche that is part of Sheffi eld disco diva teams up with Munich’s cosmic cats for an
our collective subconscious, which, when LA-based DJ/producer D Fuse believes that, old skool number reminiscent of Farley Jackmaster Funk.
triggered in the altered state of an Ecstasy in the States, the economic situation has
experience, is particularly powerful.” caused a sea change in how crowds react
It seems likely K has had its time in the to music.
darkness, and more uplifting stimulants are “The musical shift could be partly to do with 08. STILL GOING ‘STILL GOING THEME’ (DFA)
driving the trajectory of dance grooves into the current social climate,” says D Fuse. So simple, but oh so effective! Heard a few times that riff will
a more melodic direction. “People are out to escape the stress that’s be forever emblazoned on your brain.
fl oating around. All over North and South
Breeding Ground America the clubs have been full-on. There
But it’s not just the sounds produced by this seems to be a new energy of people just
new wave of retro housers that hark back letting go.
to the late-’80s and early-’90s. The political "The shift in the energy really seemed to 09. HOUSE OF HOUSE ‘RUSHING TO PARADISE’
and social conditions of Britain and the US happen in the new year, and these great (WHATEVER WE WANT)
in 2009 — that of debilitating recession — melodies that are coming out are amplify- By the same team behind Still Going’s ‘Theme’, this sold out
harks back to similar conditions at the turn ing that energy in an incredibly positive instantly upon landing in London’s Phonica Records.
of the decade when house music was fi rst way. It’s great to see.”
becoming a potent, powerful sonic force.
In his cultural history of Britain since 1975, Music will never be a panacea for society’s 10. NÔZE ‘REMEMBER LOVE’ (GET PHYSICAL)
‘From Anger To Apathy’, Mark Garnett draws ills but as a way of letting off steam it French duo whose piano house tribute
a link between the impact of Britain in remains unbeatable and if the current wave was one of the fi rst of the new musical
recession and the dawn of the acid house of piano-fuelled house continues to build wave.
movement and the Summer of Love. it’s going to be a long hot summer.
www.djmag.com w.djmag.com
075
DJ474.piano feature.indd 75 13/5/09 17:00:40
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