The coolest after hours parties in town
01. Nitin Sawhney – Sunset (London Elekricity Remix) [2001]
I’ve always been into Drum & Bass and I used to see London Elekricity play a lot in Belfast back around this time. Any chance I get to drop a bit of DnB, i’m on it!
02. Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray [1993]
This reminds me of my high school days. I used to go out with my friends every Saturday to buy CDs and records. Good memories, fun times!
03. David Holmes – Gritty Shaker [1997]
This was a big track from the year when I properly started going out clubbing. David Holmes was also a huge inspiration to all Belfast clabbers!
04. Earl Zinger – Escape From Ibiza [2001]
From the first summer I spent in Ibiza, 2001! This pretty much sums up a lot of people’s experiences to the island! 🙂
05. Koop – Waltz For Koop [2000]
Special track for me… The first dance at my wedding.
06. Marcos Valle – Estrelar [1983]
I remember the first time I went to see Gilles Peterson (think it was 1999), he played this. Needless to say, it was purchased the next day. Instant feel good!
07. Johnny Hammond – Fantasy [1975]
I’ve always been heavily influenced by Jazz-Funk… This is a high-light!
08. Sunship – Sunship [1991]
I remember when the Acid Jazz scene exploded in the early 90’s.. Jazz Funk, with a true British twist. This one by Sunship has always been a personal fav!
09. Black Science Orchestra – New Jersey Deep [1994]
Probably one of the first ‘House’ records I ever bought and one that I still play a lot. A stone cold classic and from one of my all time favourite labels!
10. Cream – I Feel Free [1966]
I remember my Dad telling me (when i was around 13 or 14) that all the metal and hip-hop I was listening to was garbage. He told me to go and listen to this. A record that’s always stuck with me and still sound great!
Montel – Brothers Sisters EP (Toy Tonics)
The pure and unadulterated house outlet that is the excellent Toy Tonics turn to busy boy Montel for their next EP, which is his first on the label. It features three tracks of on point house and comes from a man who throws parties in his native Belfast, DJs around the world and knows dance music inside out. Montel first emerged in summer 2012, sending out demos to DJ friends and causing a stir. As a result, key players such as Bicep, Jordan Peak and Waze & Odyssey were quick to come out in support! Top House stables like Let’s Play House, ALiVE and Large Music have all come calling since. His style is to combine heavy percussive garage with house beats into raw, fad free tracks that make you jack.
‘Brothers Sisters’ opens up the EP with a chunky bit of house driven on by emotive pads, swelling synths and a big bad bassline that thuds away beneath classic vox stabs and rolling kicks. It’s old school and sweaty at the same time. Next up, ‘Got 2 Have U’ marries skipping garage drums with rich, round kicks and clever filters cut in and out to add atmosphere. Funky guitar riffs and swirling pads, as well as male vocal cries, add a sense of house party fun and human life to the groove and as it bounces on it can’t help but get a crowd moving.
Lastly, ‘Technology’ kicks a bit harder. The drums are run through with space aged, robotic synth stabs and icy hi hat ringlets that lend the whole thing a more futuristic feel, as do the spoken word vocals and belly space craft melodies that rain down from above. This is fun, functional house music of the sort that dance floors from London to Los Angeles simply will not be able to resist.
Montel – Brothers Sisters EP (Toy Tonics) out now…
