Ralph Lawson’s ‘Pianos are back Beatportal bombs’

Ralph Lawson’s ‘Pianos are back Beatportal bombs’

8 October, 2009 | 5.58AM

• Written by: Zack Rico
• Filed under: Music News: 2020 vision recordings, ralph lawson

What started as a simple Weekend Weapons feature, nearly ended in panic.

When Ralph Lawson, the British DJ, producer, and leader of 2020 Vision Recordings was asked to reveal his current Top 5 dancefloor destroyers of the moment, he flipped through his CD wallet, found five bombs, and wrote them down.

Like all good DJs, he tried to find five unique records that showed his versatility and personality, something that showed he was capable of many different grooves. Oh dear.

As it turns out, nearly all five of his Weekend Weapons are piano house cuts. “I hadn’t realised I was playing so many pianos, what is going on?”, lamented Lawson. But rather than sob into a pint of beer, or cover up his selection with less piano music like some sort of ‘pianogate’ scandal, he decided to embrace it.

“Yep, pianos are back and I love it,” said Ralph Lawson. “Get on the blacks and whites my brothers!”

iO ‘Cabaret’ [Diynamic]

This had to go in my selection simply from having amazing memories of playing this at Space last Sunday. It has a vocal chant simply going ‘do-da-dum-da-da-dum’, solid house drums and tightly locked bass. 

But the surprise in the tail is a full orchestral string breakdown followed by honky tonk pianos. I wasn’t expecting that twist at all and neither does the crowd when you play it, so it slays it live. It’s a hit!

Mark Broom ‘Life’ [2020Vision]

The Broom is back with a three track EP and every one is a winner. I was playing ‘People’ at first but I have had that track since May so I have flipped and started playing the Nick Curly mix and then the hidden gem, ‘Life’. 

Broom shows us with ‘Life’ that actually away from that tough guy techno front, he is really an old disco head that loves to dance around his living room in tight trousers and pointy shoes, hits the floors, get to the stores…

Robert Dietz ‘Djoon 3000’ [Cecille]

Well it seems like it’s all back to pianos at the moment, as this track features them again. A few years ago you would have been thrown out of the club for trying to play a piano track but they now seem like a long lost friend. 

Dietz adds a vocal sample - ‘Hey Kid, You Feel alright? You Feel Like Dancing?’ into the mix over some tightly compressed 909 snares and claps and I am right back there in 1992 at the height of the Italo piano house movement.

Shit Robot ‘Simple Things’ (Todd Terje Version) [DFA]

Todd Terje is one of my heroes. He always delivers a superbly constructed piece of music, often leaning more to nu disco but this remix sees him come over to classic acid house. 

A simple hook is worked, worked, and worked until your dancers are sweating up a frenzy - guaranteed! Whoops, there goes some more pianos, man!

Ben Klock ‘OK feat. Elif Bicer’ (Kenny Larkin Remix) [Ostgut]

This had to be good as soon as I saw the pair-up. Kenny Larkin hung up his headphones to become a comic in Los Angeles and he is still one funny guy but we are very glad that he has made the time to get back to the studio as he is rightfully a Detroit great alongside Stacey Pullen and Carl Craig. 

Ben Klock always delivers big kick drums that he knows will sound great at Berghain, and Larkin lets this do the talking on the beats alongside subtle shakers and hats while the key is a lush rolling bassline and yes you guessed it piano melodies drifting on top. 

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