Comedian Jack Black famously Tweeted: “I’m fairly certain that YOLO is just Carpe Diem for stupid people.” Summoning up images of ‘selfies’ snapped in soulless chain bars and at EDM festivals, YOLO has taken on a meaning far removed from Mae West’s motto “you only live once” (unless ‘living’ means Tweeting endless, meaningless hashtags out into the digital void).
If ever there was a phrase in need of rescuing from the hands of idiots, YOLO is it, so with his latest release on Nuphuture traxx, Chicago House stalwart Johnny Fiasco has kindly thrown a lifeline to the beleaguered acronym.
If it’s possible to describe a track as being “alive”, “YOLO” would be a good contender for the title. Pulsing with energy throughout, the track simply doesn’t contain an ounce of cynicism or self awareness. From the very start it’s clear we are in the hands of a House master, expertly manipulating a classic piano sample (which sounds very much like the work of Crusaders’ keyboard player Joe Sample himself) over bouncy drums. This is timeless dance music of the highest order.
For the remix, Nuphuture label boss Paul Youx takes the helm, driving the track deeper into nightclub territory. Less swing in the groove, big brash drums and a growling bass-line are the order of the day, with the piano groove now delicately tip-toeing above the snarling beast below.
No bells or whistles here; this release contains nothing but simple, straight up soulful House Music. And it’s brilliant.
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