Sankeys have clocked up 20 years this year, and after opening clubs in Ibiza, New York and recently London they’ve celebrated entering their third decade of aural frolicing by setting up a label, the first release a double disco compilation of where the club is at now alongside the high points of the past. Helming the release is Darius Syrossian, a Dj who slowly over the past six years has become a bigger and bigger fixture of the Sankesy fabric, such to the point where he is now the figurehead for the recently relaunched Tribal Sessions in both Manchester and Ibiza. The first disc is a live at the club special composed completely of Darius’ own productions and edits, with his work tarting up the likes of Todd Terry and Green Velvet sideb y side with a slew of unreleased material – the piano laden ‘Thank You David’ which sits as the penultimate track a fitting high point. Classics wise it’s less about the personality of one dj and more about the anthems that have struck a chord across the years, starting with the thunderous tribal drums of Thick Dick’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. The cap is doffed to the various musical genres that have been a part of that two decade tour de force, the bass rumbling house of Loco Dice’s ‘Definition’ signifying the explosion of the post minimal world whilst Gemini’s acid flecked ‘Swimmin wit Sharks’ offers a glimpse into the music of the 90s. To these ears however it’s the three tracks that end the record that really cause the nostalgia to come washing though, all from the start of the last decade when Sankeys was probably the best club in the country. Tiefschwarz’s droning rework of Phonique, the strung out beauty of King Britt’s rework of Gus Gus’ (remember them?) ‘David’ and the Flash Brothers’ magical signs it out, and for this reader it goes back to a point in dance music less celebrated
4 out of 5
Reviwed by Jimmy Coultas
{http://soundcloud.com/sankeys-worldwide/clips-from-all-16-darius-syrossian-tracks-on-disc-1-of-the-sankeys-20th-anniversary-album}
