For the past ten years Drop Records has been not-so-quietly releasing proper house music 12-inches of unrelenting quality. The label, set up by Laurence Richie, half of the Inland Knights DJ duo with Andy Riley, has so far released 59 singles and celebrates its first decade by compiling them on to three CDs consisting of re-mastered catalogue faves like the ‘Out Of Bounds’ EP, new productions and remixes from like-minded names including Crazy P, Miguel Migs, Johnny Fiasco and Joshua Heath. There’s also a floor-burning Inland Knights mix of label highlights. Never courting charts or trends, this is the sound of a true underground where likeminded enthusiasts get together and party their socks off to filthy, funky endless groove heaven. While the all-important beats rule, programmed to lethal pumping perfection, dance music’s history is deftly woven into the mix, tracks like ‘Wanna Be Up’ injecting classic New York house, ‘Find Yourself’ roasting bass-fried funk while the deep disco swirl of the suitably-titled ’12 Till 8′ could’ve poleaxed Larry Levan. The Knights’ skill lies in their ability to take these classic elements and create a uniquely-British house hybrid drenched in dance music’s original spirit of early hours delirium, complete with acid-spiked punch! 21ST century disco heaven incarnate.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
