It’s amazing to think how many hot tracks from the ’90s have never been released digitally (or were published only on one of those crappy digitization of old Lounge Heroes Vol 44 compilation CDs clogging up the back inventory of every digital platform).

Toronto deep house legend Abacus has been dropping a bunch of them on Bandcamp lately mixed in with whatever infrequent but always dope new releases come our way.

Analog Trks Vol One was released by Chicago’s equally legendary Guidance Recordings in 1997 and leads off with one of the best deep house tracks of all time. “We Cookin’ Now” doesn’t appear on Spotify, Beatport or any other platform I checked, and if you saw this pop up in a chart as a new release you’d hail it as one of the best tracks of 2024. Mike Huckaby used to talk about making tracks in which every single element that a DJ needs to play a record is present. That’s true on “We Cookin’ Now,” and every one of those elements is perfect. Slow, nodding rhythms, a wandering bassline and a short and impassioned vocal loop and pumping synth riffs lathering it all up.

“Taxi Blues” is not on the digital reissue, but “Opinion Rated ‘R'” is and it’s one of the best of the ’90s spoken word-over-dope-house-beats genre. Also cookin’ is “Pluto (Blak Thanks Instrumental Mix),” a track with a bit of a complicated history. After it was released on this EP under the name “Blax Thanxs,” it was recorded with vocals as “Pluto” on Abacus’ 1999 Soundtrack For Life, also on Guidance.

Photo via Abacus on Bandcamp

⚪️ Analog Trks Vol One Tracklisting

Abacus: Analog Trks Vol One (Guidance / Digital)
1. We Cookin' Now (08:03)
2. Opinion Rated "R' (06:25)
3. Pluto(Blak Thanxs) Instrumental Mix (07:48)

⚪️ Disclosure Statement

This record was not submitted as a promo.

⚪️ Previous Coverage

✳️   New Music: Maestro: Abacus returns with The Lower End Theory (2023)
✳️   New Music: Basic Amounts Marks a Return for Deep House Legend Abacus (2018)
❇️   Features: Love Train and the Lost History of a Chicago House Classic (2013)
✳️   New Music: Remembering Blue Boy’s 1997 smash “Remember Me” (2020)
✳️   New Music: Abacus Presents iDrum: iDrum This Djembe (This Is Not a Bongo) (2012)
❇️   Features: Gemini Inc: The Second Act of Spencer Kincy (2012)

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5 Mag Issue 215
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LOVE IS THE MESSAGE: This was originally published in 5 Mag Issue #216 featuring Andy Compton of the Rurals on 50 albums and 25 years of Peng, Ralph Session cover mix, Chicago’s Noble Square Records’ deep house love affair and more. Become a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right away!