There’s a fine line between a teacher nourishing the masses and a tyrant forcefeeding them. Robespierre observed that “No one welcomes armed missionaries,” and a ludicrous zealotry from certain Deep and Soulful House purists has probably done more to alienate younger fans than to win any converts of late. Abacus has the credentials to join those spinning deeper-than-deep records on dying dancefloors, but instead delivers a top-notch 12″ on Kai Alce’s NDATL label that proves you can plunge headlong into deeper sounds without alienating the unenlightened, or lulling everyone short of Medicare eligibility to sleep.
With three references to percussion in the title alone, you know what you’re getting from one of House Music’s unsung heroes – this one is for the drum lovers, but maintains an explosive level of energy and even has a little fun. Everything you could want is here in this remix of Davidson’s “iDrum This Djembe”, from a funky voiceover to a jazzy trumpet and a sweet, addictive vox hook in the chorus. The Drum Dub is mainly a DJ tool but creditable in its own right, while “Welcome 2 The Party” is a more moody, slow churning track with that dirty percussion so highly sought from Abacus’ productions – like a kid beating on a rusty gutter with a stick. NDATL can bang with the best of them – check out Kai’s collaboration with Omar S, Jive Time – but there’s a fun & energy here that is hard to top.
