Very quietly, Louie Vega is recovering pieces of the past. Via this alliance with Nervous and the access they have, Louie seems to have a plethora of famous and neglected tracks from the disco era to toy around with and remake with a rare sense of respect – one that reaches back to respect both the source material and forward to respect the modern dancefloor.
After a couple of hits from John Davis & The Monster Orchestra, Louie lays his hands all over “Dance (Disco Heat)” from none other than Sylvester. The chords are rhythmic and the vibe is thick in his re-touch; the dub makes for a perfect track to bridge records from two different styles and the “Short Instrumental” is a more succinct version of the sprawling re-touch which clocks in at an astonishing 12 minutes.
I’m not sure how well-trafficked the various comps and reissues that dot the racks every month really are. Do they reach beyond a group of people who already know them? Louie’s remix work here actually seems to be reaching a new audience that really doesn’t know them. And I don’t know if they’re being collected together into some kind of more permanent and collectible medium, but the line would be out the door for a pre-order if they are.
Sylvester: Dance (Disco Heat) (Louie Vega Remixes) (Nervous)
1. Sylvester: Dance (Disco Heat) (Louie Vega Re-Touch Main Mix) (12:07)
2. Sylvester: Dance (Disco Heat) (Louie Vega’s Let’s Party A Lil Dub) (6:54)
3. Sylvester: Dance (Disco Heat) (Louie Vega’s Short Instrumental) (5:55)