Ten tracks and almost a who’s who (no pun intended) of Chicago producers making waves these days, each of them taking a turn beating down a track from Bear Who’s 2008 album The Beatbox. Paul Johnson’s remix of “It’s House” is a real treat – chill, laid back but driving all the same. Swirl People take a swing at it as well, but Paul Johnson’s is definitely the one to get. Gene Farris’ remix of “The Blaze” (the “Blazin Around The World Mix”) is an exquisite throwback to the classic Relief sound – simple lyrics and structure, driving bass, disco strings capped with a latin horn swing. “Dat Culito” is submerged in more acid than I’ve heard on any track in a long time. Vernon & DaCosta deliver a new school block of funk in Bear Who’s “House of Fun”. (The original mix was freaky enough – a completely obscure New Wave tune that I don’t think anyone on the planet knew about, sampled here and brought back from the dead.) Altogether, this is a package that crosses across a wide audience and damn near anyone, no matter what their taste, should find something here to get excited about.
01: The Blaze (Gene Farris’ Blazin All Around The World Mix)
02: Dat Culito (Blakkat’s Shaboom Acid Dub)
03: House of Fun (DJ Zad’s Sunny West Coast Remix)
04: It’s House (Swirl People’s Swirl Peepz Remix)
05: House of Fun (Vernon + DaCosta’s V+D Remix)
06: It’s House (Paul Johnson’s Chi-Town Rican Boy Remix)
07: I’m Not Leavin’ (Maurice P’s Leprechan Mix)
08: My Momma Thinks Ur Cute (Kenquo Remix)
09: Juicy (Sketti’s DUBsoul Remix)
10: My Momma Thinks Ur Cute (Paul Anthony + ZXX Remix)
