There’s no job more thankless than the compiler who tries to put together a concert or a record showcasing the sounds of his or her hometown. People crawl out of the woodwork for the opportunity to call you an idiot for including X but not Y, not to mention your criminal ignorance of the music of Z. The Chosen Few get it, Paxahau gets it, Cajmere got it (from the New House Sound of Chicago, of course). It’s a thankless task and is bound to make you more enemies than you thought possible.
So we’re going to leave aside the question of whether this is “a” or “the” new dance sound of Moscow – though I’ve had an interest in the music and have talked to people from Lay-Far to Xio to Boorane (who don’t all live in Moscow), I’m not nearly qualified enough to make any statements about another country’s dance music scene. Instead, let’s talk about the music, which the label notes say was recorded “live for dancing in new Moscow clubs (ARMA17, Rabitza), streets and DIY garages.” The tracks get harder and to my ears more interesting as the compilation progresses. Ushi333’s “Dolphin Spy” is driving techno; the second edit provided tosses in some 303 flavor that makes for psychosis-inducing fun. Interchain’s “XTC” is stripped down, lethal techno that any scene would be proud to lay claim to.
Centrifuge One: New Dance Sound of Moscow
A1. Philipp Gorbachev – D-scription
A2. ДЭКА – Rush
B1. ushi333 – Dolphin Spy (Original Mix)
B2. ushi333 – Dolphin Spy (Edit)
C1. Interchain – XTC
D1. Philipp Gorbachev & The Naked Man – Goodman (Obgon Remix)
D2. Dubrovsky – Oranges and Lemons
Originally published in Music Is A Family: 5 Magazine #160 featuring Louie Vega, The Scumfrog, Fish Go Deep, Terry Hunter & more. Become a member of 5 Magazine for First & Full Access to Real House Music for only $1 per issue!
