It was big and loud and garish. But amid the phat pants and candy bracelets, the washed out Manic Panic and e-induced lockjaw of the ’90s rave scene, labels like Definitive offered lifeline and a strong hint that something undiscovered was going on in the background. In clubs you had to know someone to hear about and loft parties you could maybe find out about from a creased flyer xeroxed on cardstock, they had already crafted the wheel we thought we were making from scratch. Definitive bridged the two worlds, injecting club-tempered tracks into the rave scene and vice versa.
Presided over by John Acquaviva since 1992, Definitive has been quite noisy since it was scooped up apparently by Get Physical a few years ago. I’ve never seen a management chart but the label’s revival has seen records from DJ Pierre, Nick Holder and a slew of remixes and originals from St. David.
Inner City’s “Pennies From Heaven” has a storied history of its own — it’s likely one of house music’s most influential tracks. It’s been through a ton of represses, licensing deals and reissues and the last was only in 2017 (though I have been informed this was nearly a decade ago!)
This is not a reissue — it doesn’t include the original or Kevin Saunderson’s sublime Tunnel Mix, or the Tony Humphries mixes that appeared on the B-side. Instead it includes a thumpin’ remix from Roland Leesker, plus an acappella tool of Paris Grey’s incredible vocal. When I hear a track with a vocal and those big bright chords like you hear on Leesker’s mix, I think of it as a quintessential “Frankie Knuckles track.” It’s not like one he made, it’s like something he played, and which in the way of a great DJ with a signature sound, eventually made his own.
⚪️ Pennies From Heaven Tracklisting
Inner City: Pennies From Heaven (Remix) (Definitive Recordings / 12" Vinyl + Digital)
1. Inner City, Kevin Saunderson - Pennies From Heaven (Roland Leesker Remix Edit) (03:56)
2. Inner City, Kevin Saunderson - Pennies From Heaven (Roland Leesker Remix) (07:36)
3. Inner City, Kevin Saunderson - Pennies From Heaven (Acapella Tool) (04:24)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement
This record was not submitted as a promo.
⚪️ Previous Coverage
🎧 DJ Mixes: John Acquaviva: 5 Magazine DJ Masters (2013)
✳ New Music: Legendary Detroit Techno producer Suburban Knight releasing new 7″ single (2021)
✳ New Music: Hifi Sean & Paris Grey are Lost Without U (2018)
❇ Features: Up All Night with Tony Humphries (2016)
✳ New Music: Surrender: Tony Humphries remixes Tranquil Elephantizer for Wicked (2025)
5 Mag Issue 226
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elevate: First published in 5 Mag Issue #226 featuring DJ Slugo cover story, Michael Gray cover mix + interview, the anti-AI backlash and more. Become a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right now…
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