Weekend Weapons: The Revenge

Weekend Weapons: The Revenge

14 July, 2011 | 3.00AM

• Written by: Beatportal
• Filed under: Music News: 6th borough project, graeme clark, the revenge, z records

Scotland’s Graeme Clark may be known for his laid-back approach to house music, but his career has gone into overdrive this year. First there was One Night in the Borough, the debut album from his duo 6th Borough Project, with his partner Craig Smith. Now, under his alias The Revenge, he drops Reekin’Structions for Joey Negro’s Z Records imprint. Rather than original productions, the album showcases Clark’s edits of vintage disco, boogie, and soul jams from the likes of Letta Mbulu and Chapter Three, but they all have The Revenge’s unmistakable touch for deep funk and sultry grooves.

We asked Clark to tip us off to some of the newer records he’s been playing in his sets lately; he actually submitted this list a couple of months ago, but we held off on publishing until we actually had his album in stock. Regardless, they’re just as relevant now. (That’s one nice thing about the disco scene: when your bag is full of 30-year-old records, even the contemporary cuts that make it into the mix tend to have a longer shelf-life than some of the fly-by-night hits of the overground scene.)

Read on for his picks and comments!

Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, “Praise To The Beatmaker feat. Dave Aju” [Oslo]

I have been playing this a lot recently. It’s just got that relentless groove and nagging sub-bassline which works really well as a mixing thing. The mad acid squelch that creeps through and that vocal are the icing on the cake, but I love Guillaume’s stuff in general as it feels like it’s a live jam. Seeing him live takes it to another level too.

Mark E, “Oranges” [Spectral]

I’ve always had a lot of respect for Mark’s work. Apart from being a great DJ, he makes some of the best druggy house jams out there. His new album consolidates his sound and moves away from his editing into more experimental territory, but he always retains that essence of what makes a good house record. This track captures it perfectly for me, with a nod to Larry Heard and some of the past’s masters.

Prommer & Barck, “The Barking Grizzle” [Gigolo]

Alex & Christian really pulled it out the bag on this one. It’s got that tension which just builds and builds to that first hook, and when it kicks back in, it really grabs you with that bassline. I love the rhythms and sounds that these guys use, no doubt infused by their love of great black music; and it’s got a real anthemic quality to it without being cheesy.

TJ Kong & Modular K, “Jack Shit” [Poker Flat]

This has echoes of some old ‘90s house track for me and is really well produced, standing up easily against some of the newest stuff out there. The main riff sounds like a freight train blasting its horn, and it becomes like a call-to-arms in the club. It’s also got that restraint which allows you to play it as a build-up thing or as a peak-time thing.

Roberto Rodriguez, “Fall Night” [Fina Records]

Roberto has always been one of my favourite producers. He’s got a keen ear for engineering, but his tracks always have great feeling. This whole single is great, but I love the vibe of this track, really stripped back, and it’s all about the groove, which just builds and builds. Fina is a label to watch out for this year.

Rampi, “Feel It Burn feat. Miss Bee (Ray Mang Remix)” [Under The Shade]

A real slow-jam, this one… It’s got summer written all over it for me. One of those records you can start a night with or drop down to in the middle of a set, if the crowd are with you. It all works perfectly over the eight minutes and is just a really sexy record which should elicit plenty of bumping and grinding if the time is right.

Steffi, “You Own My Mind feat. Virginia” [Ostgut Ton]

One of my favourite tracks this year for its simplicity and emotional impact. Virginia’s voice just sends chills up my spine, and it’s clear that this song is from the heart, which a lot of house music misses these days. It’s a true future classic.

Phreek Plus One, “Passion feat. Mr. White” [Compost]

I love the simplicity in this record. It’s almost like a pop thing with a real melancholy edge to it. It really should cross over, in my opinion, as it’s got all the elements and hooks to make it happen along with a killer vocal from Mr. White. Michael at Compost had asked me to do a remix for it, but I didn’t have time—plus I think it’d be hard to beat this mix, in all honesty.

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