Celebrating 19 years of 3 Chairs with 19 classic cuts

3 Chairs is the legendary quartet of Theo Parrish, Moodymann, Rick Wilhite, and Marcellus Pittman.

Their first EP dropped in 1997, announcing the group as a new generation of Detroit artists who would add to the city's rich electronic music lineage, adding to what the likes of Derrick May, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Robert Hood had done before them (Pittman joined in 2002 but the statement still stands).

19 years on from that seminal debut and their presence is heavier than ever. Each artist features on seemingly every festival line-up worth going to this summer and it's obviously not just Detroit that has love for these house gurus. In celebration of the classic release that changed the course of dance music, we've decided to dig in the crates to find 19 gems from their expansive catalogues, as solo artists and together as 3 Chairs.

We would be lying if we said there was a track in any of their catalogues that we weren't in love with, so this is by no means a definitive list. We will, however, guarantee that you are in for hours of musical pleasure.

It's safe to say that Moodymann has had his fair share of funk-sampling bangers – 'I Can't Kick This Feeling When It Hits', 'Don't You Want My Love' – but it's the title track off his '98 LP 'Mahogany Brown' that gets us every time.

Freaked in a way that no one but Kenny Dixon could do, the classic sample of Walter Murphy's 'Afternoon Of A Faun' floats in and out of Detroit's signature string line while the percussion fades in and out as it pleases. With absolutely no regard for conventions, this is Moodymann at his schitzophrenic best.

The tune was so brilliant that it was repackaged as the title track for 2004's 'Black Mahogani', but we'll take this rough version any day.

Sometimes all you need is “a damn Mass Production sample with some 909 under it", as Theo put it.

'Lake Shore Drive' may not be as intricate as the tunes he would later become known for but it didn't need to be. Made on a borrowed drum machine, this was one of the tracks that helped introduced the world to one of dance music's most prolific artists.

Two decades on and we still can't help but lose our shit when that string comes in.

Rick Wilhite might not be a name that rings as many bells as his 3 Chairs counterparts Theo and Kenny, but don't let that fool you. Integral in the establishment of the sound that would eventually come to define Detroit's scene, Wilhite stayed behind the scenes for the most part, holding down Detroit's beloved (and now closed down) Vibes New & Rare Music store.

He didn't play around on the production tip either: both of his tracks on the debut 3 Chairs 12" are standouts among a host of other classic tunes. 'Good Kiss' was our favourite of the bunch, so good in fact that The Godson's third EP was simply 3 remixes of the track.

While the Urban Tribe and Moodymann mixes are slick in their own right, it's this mix by Chicago house pioneer Ron Trent that we keep going back to.

Although they had been releasing compilations of solo tracks as 3 Chairs for a few years prior, 'Three Chairs 3' marked their first full length work as a proper group. Not only that, but it marked the addition of an at the time little-known producer by the name of Marcellus Pittman.

Rather than have him play a small role, Marcellus makes himself known across the whole album. Rightfully so - this is 3 Chairs at their best, and it's the low-key pads and lush layers of synth that we've now come to know as Marcellus' signature that really make the album shine.

Among all these beautiful songs, somehow it's the disgustingly raw 'Dreamz' that we always seem to go back to. The last thing we would have expected to be paired with such a thundering bassline is the lullaby-esque melody that floats through the track, but somehow it all makes sense.

'3 Chairs Theme' and 'All Over' are other highlights off the LP that could have just as easily made the list, but just listen to the whole thing to avoid any FOMO.

It's not hard to tell why Marcellus chose this cut to close out the debut release of his Unirhythm imprint. Pure bliss is a phrase that comes to mind when we hear this one - it's Pittman at his most emotional. We would be lying if we said we're not wiping away tears when it comes on either. It's not often so many different melodies can work so smoothly together, but this is a masterclass in how to make it happen.

Check the flipside 'Come See' as well, its about as warm and fuzzy of a joint as it gets.

Kenny Dixon Jr. doesn't tend to make "bangers" in the conventional sense of the term - it usually takes a few listens for the true beauty of his works to emerge. 'Live In LA 1998' however is a different story entirely as it's only a few seconds in that we're tearing everything from the floor that isn't already nailed down. The sexy humming takes the edge off the thundering bassline and kick that drives the track, and the beautiful keys that float in near the end really bring this one full circle.

It's a stark contrast to the breezy tone of the 2003 LP 'Silence In The Secret Garden', which featured classics such as 'People' and 'Shine', and we can't say we're complaining.

Originally appearing on 'Baby Steps', the first EP released by short-lived Detroit label Elevate, as 'Walking Thru The Sky', this slow-burning cut was again used two years later to rightfully close out Theo's classic debut LP 'First Floor'.

With a subtle drowned-out bassline and a piano melody that would sound just as perfect in a cheesy salsa flick as it does over Theo's grimy bed of classically Detroit kicks, this one doesn't have to make itself known to be heard. The grooves are undeniable on this one, it's just a shame it didn't cross-over on the Spanish ballroom charts as well.

We highly recommend giving the whole LP a spin, it's a classic.

Before he was international superstar Moodymann, Kenny Dixon Jr. was releasing plenty of future classics under his given name. Many of these tracks would go on to be refreaked by the Detroit native later down the line, such as the seminal 'Don't You Want My Love' and 'Backagainforthefirsttime' (originally released as 'Do You Know').

Looking back over the works, it's 'Midnights' that we can't seem to stay away from. The filtered chords and repetitive samples that defined a large portion of his later works are in full effect on this deep cut, later remade as the now audaciously priced 'I'd Like To Know'. Even considering the brilliance of this cut it was a hard decision to put on the list - every cut off 96's 'Soul Sounds' has classic written all over it.

If you dig this, dig a bit earlier in the catalogue for 'U Got Me Blunted Up' off 94's legendary 'Moody Trax'.

Coming off the EP that introduced the world to an at the time unknown Marcellus Pittman (Marsellus on this particular release), no words can do the buttery-slickness of this track justice.

It would be criminal to not suggest listening to the other two cuts off the EP, the equally euphoric 'Selector's Theme' and 'Night Of The Sagittarius'. Essential selections indeed.

Taking the role of producer in the most traditional sense of getting the most out of the band, Theo turned composer for the 2004 release of The Rotating Assembly's collective effort 'Natural Aspirations', which featured 21 musicians combining on and off throughout the LP. With large personalities such as Marcellus Pittman on the keys, Andrés on percussion, Rick Wilhite on the mix, and a host of other well-known live musicians in Theo's circle taking up a wide range of instruments and roles for the project, it's a mystery how the project never once felt overwhelming.

Unquestionably the least conventional of all the releases on the extensive catalogue of the 3 Chairs members, the tracks range from low-key jam session 'The Rust Organic', to the sweeping string masterpiece of 'Orchestral Hall', to the deeper than deep 'Melt'. However it's the high-octane, jazz-fuelled 'Mess I Made' we can't help but throw on every Sunday morning, Genevieve's soaring vocal over King Sunshine's instrumental backing as the percussion playfully fades in and out takes us to another time and space.

In the words of our favourite Youtube comment, "there's sublime, and there's this".

While it's brilliance may not jump out immediately, over time we've come to realize that 'Dan Ryan' is one of the best works in Theo's catalogue. The frantic percussion builds as different elements slowly join the fray, and by the time the chords hit damn near 4 minutes we've already lost our shit.

This one dropped hot on the heels of the classic 'First Floor' LP, and let everyone know that the former Prescription Records studio handyman was here to stay. Watch out for that bassline: we're not liable for any damage that you cause to your surroundings once it kicks in.

'That Day' is a must hear if you like Theo getting nice 'n raw.

What can't this man do? Appearing on the flipside of the 'Sunday Morning' 12" that was taken from his Planet E debut 'Silentintroduction', 'Track 4' is a jittery masterpiece that melds a host of elements that have no business going together so precisely that we couldn't imagine them being paired in any other way.

Led by a shaker and an undeniably catchy vocal loop that we're still trying to understand today (if it even is a vocal), beautiful chords and acid blips drift in and out of this deep cut until it's abrupt (and much too soon) ending. Not one to sleep on.

If this one is your jam, don't sleep on 'Oceans' and 'Misled' either.

Our favourite Theo sample, in what is an overwhelming discography of amazing sample flips, is the dialogue that brings in 'Ebonics' and goes on to appreciate the "expressive, vivid, living language" that is "black dialect".

"If we reject it, how little have we gained, and how much have we lost," the voice says and from there it's nothing less than an education on how to make house music. A characteristically raw set of kicks and hi-hats drive the track as the vocal sample weaves in and out, and by the end of the near 13 minute run the track is enveloped in a host of synths that had us feeling nostalgic at our first listen.

If this one tickles your fancy check the excellent 'Moonlight Music & You' EP that dropped the previous year.

Marcellus is no stranger to making beautiful slow burners that put us in a daze, and '1044 Coplin' is no exception. Characteristically lush pads from Mr Pittman float through an intricate web of rolling bass and keys in such a way that the 4-minute length seems like a sadistic tease - thank god for the repeat button.

A slice of juicy modern-day boogie, we couldn't imagine a tune out there more suited for a cruise on a hot summer's day. The latest track released on his Unirhythm imprint, it's tracks like these that let us know that the 3 Chairs legacy is in good hands. This is one for the heads.

'If The Earth Could Talk' is another track to check out if this is your jam.

The type of song that makes you want to fall in love all over again.

You can practically hear Kenny's tears dropping on to the mix on this latter day classic, dropping in 2012 as an overlooked single. It's hard to imagine any other techno artist even trying to sample the Elkie Brooks original, let alone managing to inject it with more emotion. We're pretty happy he did - the £50 a copy is going for at the moment is a hit we would take any day.

Appearing on 3 Chair's second outing as a proper group, 2006's 'No Drum Machine pt.2', it's widely believed that one can actually taste this tune. Delectable pads swoop in amongst a Wu-Tang-esque vocal sample and stuttering hi-hats, with one of the grooviest basslines we've heard from the crew tying everything together. The groove is so undeniable that you can't help but float around the room when it comes on, yet the track would fit in just as suitably as a soundtrack to a romantic midsummer's eve dinner on the dockside in Bordeaux with that special someone.

Needless to say, lots of feels on this one.

An uncharacteristic experiment in acid that went exceedingly right. Inbetween a string of beautiful, fuzzy EPs, 'There's Somebody Out There' came out of the blue with a pumping acid bassline liable to melt any dancefloor set loose upon, and we couldn't have been happier. Although happy wouldn't necessarily be the word used to describe this brooding number, which slowly builds from a pulsing marimba laced rhythm into as slamming of a house cut as you are likely to ever hear.

The flipside doesn't play around either - Nina Kravis herself rates 'Chicago Nights' as one of her favourite tunes to tear down a party.

Only Kenny Dixon Jr. could turn this obscure synth tune into an acid banger that is liable to lead to cardiac arrest when played at the volume it deserves. 'Dem Young Sconies' is certainly an unusual cut from the usually funky Freeki Muthafucka, and we're not complaining.

A tune that still turns the club upside down without fail, a screeching string weaves in and out of an unforgiving bassline and glitchy bleeps until we can't dance any longer. The highlight of his relentlessly excellent debut 'Silentintroduction', this is a timeless classic that has become a staple in any self-respecting acid collector's set.

Peep the flipside of the single, 'Bosconi', for a more low key (but still thoroughly worthwhile) listening experience.

It's not often the world is blessed with an 'electronic' artist able to craft as beautiful music as Theo Parrish. Classics such as 'Summertime Is Here', 'Solitary Flight'... we could imagine that it would shock first-time listeners to know that these songs were not made by a 12-piece orchestra, but one man in a dusty Detroit studio.

Among all of those gems, it's this bootleg of Jill Scott's 'Slowly, Surely' that really brings the tears. A huge fan of Scott, the story goes that Theo threw the tape of this remix on to the stage at one of her performances, only to have it thrown back at him promptly by her manager. Theo continued this back and forth exchange with her (hopefully former) manager until Jill intervened and took the tape home with her. The voice message you hear at the start of the track is her heart-felt response to Theo after giving it a spin, and we couldn't imagine her feeling any other way.

Jill Scott's vocal loops tantalizingly over a pulsing bass that could be mistaken for Theo's own heartbeat as the slow burning number slowly, but surely, caresses emotions we never even knew we had. The bootleg that launched Theo's legendary 'Ugly Edits' series that featured such gems as this Freddie Hubbard edit, it still sounds as crisp today as the first time we heard it.