Summer
I don’t know what it is, but certain sounds or instruments used in some records can really make you feel a certain way, or remember certain things.
Of course that sounds quite vague, so I’ve picked out Vincenzo’s “Jack Ain’t Back” and Russ Gabriel’s Old School Remix of “L’Aurora” by Poppcke and Alex Niggemann. I’m not singling them out because they’re two utterly mindblowing records, but because they are both so vibey, so evocative. The Euro-Detroit bleeps are an imitation of older stuff I’m sure, though we could probably argue all day what the specific source is.
But isn’t there something about the actual synths used in these tracks that just really gets you? I know when I hear “Jack Ain’t Back” I feel a sort of instant nostalgia, but it’s nostalgia for when? For whenever it came out? For the last time I listened to it or played it out? It’s not really easy to tell. There’s just something about the actual sound that makes me think of summer, those optimistic grooving squelches seem to open up all sorts of possibilities. It’s just really wide eyed house music, which is quite rare.
Both of these records are pop music to me, just a total sugar fix. But they seem to distill a lot of the electric buzz of great dance music and a lot of the atmosphere of great clubs. into just a few minutes Maybe it’s just a sound I particularly like, but I suspect other people might get this feeling from these tracks too.
There’s nothing utterly shocking about either track, but they do have a simple bit of magic, they’re just so quintessentially house. For me the Vincenzo record has long ceased to be just the sum of its parts and become a lifelong favourite. It’s not an all-time classic or won’t make many lists but I know I’ll be listening to it for as long as I live.
Vincenzo-Jack Ain’t Back (Déssous)
Poppcke/Alex Niggemann-L’Aurora (Russ Gabriel’s Old School Mix) (Moonpool)
William Hamilton wrote:
love your blog!
Posted 14 Aug 2008 at 3:14 am ¶
petepete wrote:
I know exactly what you mean, nothing better than some proper old style house music, and 2008 has been great for re-hashing and refreshing some of those sounds. Loving that Russ Gabriel remix, thanks for the tip.
Posted 24 Aug 2008 at 9:10 pm ¶
Kara wrote:
I feel exactly the same as you man. The Vincenzo track is just a house jewel. We ve got this feeling because that is the music we love : house music
Vincenzo uses quite “old school” synths and bass line in this track, that is why there is a bit of nostalgic feeling inside.
Or maybe it just reminds the kind of sound when we first took drugs .. lol
Posted 25 Aug 2008 at 7:09 pm ¶
Ronan wrote:
haha….nobody mention the D word now!
Posted 28 Aug 2008 at 7:38 pm ¶
Parish Priest! wrote:
oh now! He shouldn’t be saying that!
Jack Ain”t back takes me back to the days of forest scenes on walls, youths outside the flat shouting “oo ooh oo AH AH AH AAAH” and will you take another drink, i will!
Was like Dearborn 1968 and Rawtenstall 1983.
I did!
Posted 14 Sep 2008 at 5:41 pm ¶