Smoothed out house music with a jazzy touch to it equals the kick off. Like the horns. Like the flow. Not verbage, beat flow, you dig? S’cool if you don’t. takes me back, but also forward. Like, I’m feeling the bounce but like that extra new age bounce. Is new age correct terminology? Can’t recall what that term means this week.
Then it gets like a little classical flavor. You know, Mozart & shit? But seriously, imagine Ludwig van with like some 808’s and a violinist on one and a half ex bombers, not that I condone anything in that realm, but repeating, and, then drop the beat, hmmm, good stuff. He’s dabbling, but not throwing it out there too hard. Keeping it house, but pitching motifs like dr. phil in a brainstorm session. Ok not like that. But the beats is proud.
Ok now this is interesting, we seem to have switched to a little rock dillio. Am I tripping or is it possible that the “pilgremage” name, besides the obvious play off his name, signifies some kind of mystic journey through the musical landscape? I prolly wouldn’t be shot for suggesting as such. There’s a little guitar riff action plus cosmic space ray sounds, but the bump stays clean, consistent, he doesn’t overdo anything, which can be a major problem in a lot of house music, trying to throw everything plus the kitchen sink at you and hope you have a heart attack by the time the next dj’s set is up.
Ah so, here come those guitars again, as well as some vaguely demonic voice muttering something that sounds rough, wellie, wellie, iron maiden meets like the trance atlantic step children? Frankly my dear, it’s appetizing on my ear drum.
Article comments
1 - empath
Very nice that you enjoyed Rennie's album so much, and I do agree that it's a great collection, but you miss one important point: this is breakbeat music! Rennie is the originator of the English breakbeat scene. Not to get technical, but to call most of this album "house music" is wrong, and "hard house" is especially off base as a description. I know that the genres of dance music can get a little esoteric at times, but the breakbeat scene is blowing up worldwide and Rennie is its number one standard bearer. Breaks has some of its origins in house music, but at this point it is a completely seperate entity, and this album really reflects that. The "emit/collect" remix here actually won breaks remix of the year at the 2004 Breakspoll awards. The Breakbeat Massive is desperately trying to get noticed above the fray of world dance music, so it is important to make the distinction.
2 - berkeley joe
okey dokey pokey
3 - Justene
This review was chosen for Advance.net. You will be able to find it on newspaper sites including Cleveland.com.