20 albums celebrating 20 years in 2017
A toast to 1997
Moodymann 'Silentintroduction'
"What am I gonna do, gonna do, gonna do, gonna do?" goes the vocal on Moodymann's 'I Can't Kick This Feeling When It Hits'. As far as catchy house vocals go, that's up there with the very best and you'll likely still hear it creeping out of festival soundsystems year after year, even 20 years after its release. Kenny Dixon Jr. had been releasing for three years before debut album 'Silentintroduction', but this was his first bulk display of tunes to crown him as a purveyor of house music elegance. From the uplifting claps of 'The Third Track' to the soft, graceful tones of 'Answer Machine', Kenny captures a mood of carefree joy, exactly what house music was founded upon. DT
Photek 'Modus Operandi'
Noun. modus operandi: a particular way or method of doing something. Quite excellently was Photek's way on his debut album titled with the Latin words. An early adoptee of Metalheadz (with the 'Natural Born Killa' EP), Photek's slick productions turned heads at major label Virgin, which signed him to its dance sub-label Science in 1995. Two years later, 'Modus Operandi' was ready and a 10-track record of sent-from-space jungle and drum 'n' bass was steadily becoming a classic. 'Aleph 1' - with its mischievous prods and churning atmospherics - is a standout, and 'Axiom' rides high through drum-kicking simplicity and subtle creature-like murmurs. It's not all kicks and drums. Just listen to the piano-based intricacy of the title track. DT
