“Strong” was a strange track even in 2003. The Iz & Diz classic grew out of a Chicago hothouse that was soggy with talent operating at their peak, and there must have been a critical mass behind this bomb. The duo put it out as a single-sided 12″ on Jamie Thinnes’ Seasons Recordings. As Seasons captured a moment in house music history, so did “Strong” capture one in Chicago — that vibe that seemed most apparent at Howard Bailey’s Slick’s Lounge, a nightclub so cool that even a fire couldn’t burn it out.
What Goes Around is the name of James Solace’s new label, and digging through the crates James must have found this slammin’ slice of Chicago an inspiration. You can’t listen to a release like this without measuring the original, and though that manic jazzy sound and rubbery walking bass has been sterilized by overuse from generation of Beatport loop artists, this best-of-2003 funk from the lads still punches hard.
The INSTINCT remix — heralding Solace’s new project — is, I suppose, the point here. Solace hits it with a pair of jumper cables and this is lively, though there’s not much else that recommends it. The original was 9 minutes long, you could play it 3, or 6 or run into the ground at the right point in the night. How many tracks can you say that about? in history? That’s something notable, huh? Solace’s remix takes a classic and makes it disposable, packing the mix with over-the-top FX, Marvel movie crashes and the disembodied voice of an MC that appears almost at random, like one FM station bleeding into the next. You might like it now but you probably won’t remember it a year from now, much less 18 of them.
Iz & Diz: Strong (INSTINCT Remix) (What Goes Around / May 2021)
1. Iz & Diz: Strong (Original Mix) (9:15)
2. Iz & Diz: Strong (INSTINCT Remix) (6:08)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo by For The Record PR.
This was originally published in 5 Mag issue 189: #DieTrying with Josh Milan, Ashley Beedle, Terry Farley, Jackie Queens & more. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.
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