Under his S-Man guise, Roger Sanchez was responsible for some of house music’s most loved anthems of the past two decades. Discerning and always crafter with their own sense of inimitable flair, the US DJ/producer presided over a time that was arguably when house music was at its zenith. Recently, he’s back in the studio crafting similar pastures, not least his much publicised works with Huxley. this time about, however, it’s the Hard Times label that sees him in the spotlight once more, as his classic, Time 2 Stop, is given a new lease of life courtesy of some of the scene’s more contemporary names.
Sanchez’ own new take is first up. He twists the vocal into a new dimension, adding a simmering abundance of snares and a groove-soaked bassline that’s indicative of him at his very best. Yorkshire producer Doorly keeps his remix on a pretty straight-up path, although he does let a fair dose of melodic and atmosphere creep into the equation. Mat Playford and Steve Mac elongate the vocal and inject the original with a new found direction, in the process coming up with the EP’s standout moment.
Elsewhere, Brotherton Wing’s remix is perhaps the most ‘old-school’ of the lot, Louis Bailey goes nice and deep thanks to a series of enriching chords and as an added bonus, the original 9-5 mix also gets another airing alongside the S-Man’s very own Ruff Dub. In all, this can be considered an essential purchase for any self-respecting house head.
4 out of 5
Reviewed by Ian Fleming
