[Vizual Records]

Although he’s spent a lot of time in California over the years, it is Chicago that rings through Joshua Michael’s music most clearly. Born in the home of house music but raised in San Jose, Iz (as he later become known) forged solid friendships with key Chicago luminaries at a young age; indeed, his very first release was on the essential Prescription imprint, with more closely following on Guidance and Classic. Nearly fifteen years and several dozen EPs since his first release he has finally committed his musical vision to long form on his own Vizual label with the result showing just why he has remained in demand for so long. Though history has shown Iz to be more than comfortable with the medium of 12″ and EP releases he tackles the album format with ease; because for what is essentially a collection of dance floor tracks, It Iz What It Iz flows with all the peaks and valleys of an artist album.

Elements of Joshua’s early inspirations can be found via tinges of reggae in the title track, with a bass melody closely resembling Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” fitting snugly in the groove of the slowly arpeggiating, clean synth lines. Long time partner Diz provides the rich, honeyed vocal for the track, adding to the already tender vibe. Other instances of Joshua’s early influences can be found throughout the album too. He taps into downbeat, dub and ragga on the only track that feels out of place on the album, the downbeat “We Control” featuring MC and long time friend and Jamalski, whose braggadocios toast feels worlds away from the rest of the mainly house based material. “The Bells” is the only other downbeat moment, but unlike “We Control,” it feels like an appropriately nuanced interlude, bright and brassy synths languidly stretching out over a lazy bass line and a mid tempo breakbeat.

The album is foremost focused on house with elements of techno. It’s not all new content, with the title track, “Alpha & Omega” and two other cuts all appearing elsewhere before in various guises. The high wire strings on “Earthrise (Moon Mix),” evoke the early days of Detroit techno but in more of a relaxed, unhurried fashion. The track initially turned up on his Vizual Rydims #2 EP, but I find the subtle, ethereal nature of the Moon Mix to be better suited to the album format. The dub house groover “Deep Space Pressure,” also originally from the same EP, gets three minutes trimmed off for the album, though even with the shorter edit is still an outstanding, kinetic track. Of the new tracks there are also many highlights, with “Ewall” hitting the late night vibe perfectly with a dreamy haze of shimmering synths, cascading marimbas and deeply wrought bass.

There is a good balance struck between the deeper house cuts and more techno oriented, with equilibrium also between heavier hitting dance floor cuts and more introspective, cranial seducers. “Sea of Vapours” and “Flower Sparks” both fall under the dance floor banner, with the former meting out a steady pulse of analog synths, sounding like a more purposeful, laconic version of Spirit Catcher’s “Voo Doo Knight,” while the latter ticks all the right boxes for its use of evolving, filtered chords, hypnotic groove and punchy but simplistic percussion. Deeper moments come courtesy of the Chez Damier featured vocal on “Sentimental Love,” and the Jungle Brothers sampling closer “What Planet?”, both tracks shining examples of the masterful strokes with which Iz paints his house productions.

A constant theme on the album is the use of arpeggio rhythms and it’s something Joshua knows how to do well, using it several times in a controlled, understated way that never approaches over indulgence. It is something that helps tie the album together, a familiar presence throughout the twelve tracks that gives shape to the work as a whole. Unlike the current strains of modern day house, whose producers search to tap in to the spirit of Chicago and Detroit by studying the form and padding their tracks with digital dust for an authentic feel, Joshua heads in the other direction by utilizing clean, polished sounds. But through the burnished gleam of his productions, his musical origins shine through regardless. With It Iz What It Iz, Joshua collates the ideas and feelings that have helped him remain an important part of house music for so long while giving listeners plenty of reasons to continue to follow his account of the genre.

[Silver Network]

Although Chez Damier’s recent Adventures In Barcelona and A Work In Progress projects have languished in semi-obscurity while Mojuba’s reissues of his work flew off the shelves, his latest effort has already attracted more attention than anything he’s done since his Prescription days. Supposedly a continuation of two EPs Damier curated back in 2004 for ATAL, The Gathering is more of an entirely new project that finds the vaunted Chicago producer working with unexpected cohorts Chris Carrier and Jef K. Their first release, “In My System,” was shrouded in mystery when it first appeared during the early months of 2010, a situation that’s hardly been alleviated by its actual commercial release. To date, four different iterations of the record are floating around: two translucent red vinyl editions containing several different renditions on an unnamed label, a digital version on Carrier’s Adults Only, and what seems like the “official” version on Jef K’s Silver Network. But the quality of “In My System” cuts through the confusion, positioning the tune as one of the best to achieve popular acclaim this year.

Out of step with the current milieu of sample-heavy house but archetypal of the deep house style that’s inspired so many producers, it’s only somewhat surprising “In My System” has experienced such widespread support. Because so many versions are in circulation it suggests a long, productive session has been wrung dry. For the purposes of this review I’ll focus on the Silver Network EP with mixes by Carrier and Jef K, in part because the latter is the most popular and because the “original” is marred by some sloppy arrangements. From the subtly intricate drum patterning to the jetstream timbre of sky-scraping synth chords, Jef K’s “System” mix is an uncomplicated pleasure, one that feels like it’s been living in your head — or lurking undetected in your record collection — for untold years. This connection is strengthened by the caliber and delivery of Damier who informs dancers, “You’re in my system / you’re in my life tonight,” often deadpanning “system” to give the phrase more heft. It has all the qualities of a feel good summer hit while encouraging listeners to reflect on their good fortune to be in each other’s systems. DJs have fewer reasons to air out Carrier’s “Tex” mix. Opting for a dub-influenced sound that sops up all the energy in delays and reverb, Carrier forfeits much the vocals’ considerable power to reconcile them with hobbling percussion and sticky synth stabs. But with a near instant classic on its flipside, Carrier’s mix comes along for the the ride as DJs clamor to own one of 2010′s most affecting house tunes everyone wants to hear. A stunning reminder that Chez Damier is ignored at the listener’s peril.

Correction: An earlier version of this review stated that “In My System”‘s vocalist was uncredited. While this is true to the best of our knowledge, readers have pointed out that Chez Damier was in fact the vocalist. The review has been edited to reflect this.

I have to admit, some of the coolest parties I’ve ever attended haven’t been in legendary clubs but rather tucked away loft spots that court the best crowds and most intimate sets you’re likely to hear. I even had the pleasure of throwing one for my birthday. On November 14th, it could be your turn to enjoy one of the coolest and most exclusive parties this year. Giles Smith (Secretsundaze) and Alex Ruello (Need2Soul) have put together a hell of a night, headlined by Chicago house pioneer Chez Damier with support from Sven Weisemann and Smith himself. Oh yeah, and only 200 people will have the privilege to be there. If you’d like to be two of them, simply answer our trivia question: under what guise and with whom did Chez Damier make his vinyl debut? Send your answers with “COMPETITION” in the subject line to editor[at]littlewhiteearbuds[dot]com by Nov. 13 at 9AM CST. One winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers. Good luck!

[Yore]

New releases from Yore always catch my attention. Some days you’ll get a fresh release from a revered veteran like Alton Miller, while on others you’ll find something unexpected from an artist you’ve never heard of before. The “Untitled EP” from A Work in Progress is a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B. The single’s two metropolitan house cuts come from Priceless One, described by the label as “a club kid from Detroit,” but also boast contributions from deep house royalty Chez Damier. The lead track of the package, “Moment of Truth,” starts off on an ominous note, as though we were headed into an icy techno tundra. The darker synthetic stays lurking in the wings, but stick around another thirty seconds, and “Sessomatto” rhythms and upbeat funk bass deliver a hell of a thaw. The electric keys, though, are where the magic happens, gliding effortlessly between contemplative soulfulness and bright ebullience, and helping the overall vibe settle rather naturally somewhere between slick Chicago house and, well, a live band. Definitely score this one as another Yore victory.

For a minute, it seems as though the flip’s “Let Me Do Yore” will turn in a similar slice of uplifting house, but this turns out to be a far busier track. Quite simply, it’s crowded, shifting back and forth between modular layers of hooks, vocal coos, keyboard melodies, and various other effects until a sort of groove saturation is reached. It’s easy to see why Yore head Andy Vaz would be attracted to this tune, as it almost has the feel of a super-compressed Vaz set. And, for the most part, I’d say this works. The track holds at a near-breaking point for the bulk of its eight minutes but, although I sometimes feel a bit pressed against the wall, it’s incredibly difficult not to get swept up by the packed-club energy it whips up.

On the reissue front, last year saw a new CD package of Basic Channel highlights, the Gas boxed set, and a repress of Model 500′s seminal Deep Space. Can 2009 match that? Six months in, looks like it just might. My picks for the five crucial reissues of the year so far is restricted to tangible products. This means I’m excluding some of the big mp3 arrivals of the year, several of which are news in their own right. In January, Omar S brightened my holiday malaise by making a healthy chunk of his FXHE label available through Beatport. Then, as spring turned to summer, Jeff Mills announced a gradual program to market some of his many career highlights in digital form, with value-added outtakes to boot. This year’s also opened up crucial back catalog material from Bine, Cache, Non Standard, Platzhirsch, and R&S to fill your iPod as well. As for discs silver and black, here’s what’s had me excited.

01. Robert Hood, Minimal Nation [M-Plant] (buy)
At long last, the spine that separated minimal techno lifers from tourists can be had for the price of a Best Buy gift card. Folks, this is simply one of the best techno long-players you’re going to hear. And if it weren’t enough that we can now revel in the “neutral potency” of the likes “Museum” on the bus, Hood has tacked on a couple of bonus cuts contemporary to the album, plus an entire mix CD. And if you need even more lean, robotic funk, there’s a new pressing of “Who Taught You Math” on, of all places, Freak n’ Chic. As Hood himself said, “In order to maximize the feeling of the music, sometimes we have to ridiculously spoil the listener with an embarrassment of newly remastered riches.”

02. Studio 1, Studio Eins [Kompakt] (buy)
Should you be in the mood for a more austere strain of minimal techno (or maybe just a more Teutonic one), this would be the chef’s recommendation. The latest entry in what I hope is an ongoing Wolfgang Voigt reissue campaign, this is every bit as raw and pummeling as Minimal Nation is funky. The tight, aggressive gyrations and morphing effects leave a dizzying impression, but these synthetic dub tracks are, like Hood’s, assembled from a handful of elements. Lucky for us this archival restoration is such a rumbling thrill to listen to today. For more information on why you need this disc, do check out Todd Hutlock’s review.

03. Rick Wade, Harmonie Park Vol. 1
[Funky Chocolate] (buy)
Rick Wade’s routinely jaw-dropping releases have a nasty habit of disappearing from the market. Funky Chocolate’s certainly done their part to help remedying this. The numbered title of their latest Wade package muddles things a bit, as this isn’t a straight copy of the first record on Wade’s Harmonie Park imprint. It does, however, contain the entire B-side of that 1994 deep house masterpiece, two Wade’s very best tracks. Impossibly infectious, the chords are thick and buttery, while the vocal micro-hooks deliver the kind of earworms that heads still haven’t shaken 15 years later. HP01′s “Nothing To Fear” and its DBX remix are tragically omitted, but the disco-gilded “I Feel Good,” from the second Harmonie Park plate, makes for one hell of a consolation prize. If this isn’t in your crate, your crate’s light.

04. Chez Damier, Time Visions 1 [Mojuba G.O.D.] (buy)
Similarly, Berlin house fiends Mojuba have just kicked off an all-Chez-all-the-time sub-label. The gently grooving A-side of the first release is brand new, but on the B you’ll find an invaluable pair of sought-after greats from the Prescription vaults. Trippy masterpiece “Sometimes I Feel Like” previously appeared on the unforgettable Hip To Be Disillusioned record back in 1994. The track here is technically an unreleased version, but I haven’t found reason for disappointment. The fluttering keys and urgent strings of “Teach Me, Keep Me” also first stirred hearts in ’94, when it appeared on The Gift, released under the Noni moniker. Fifteen years on, these tracks don’t seem to have lost any of their classy, energizing magic.

05. Jim O’Rourke, I’m Happy, and I’m Singing, and a 1, 2, 3, 4 [Editions Mego] (buy)
Certainly one of the most emotive, affecting moments in laptop naval-gaze, this rare electronic outing from Jim O’Rourke was ambitious and far-reaching, but managed a lightness of touch and warmth I believe surpasses that of any of the busy, multi-talented musician’s work. Ruminative but not cerebral, the album’s shifts from dread to whimsy to melancholy to glee move with the fluidity of a daydream. Out-of-print for longer than it was ever in-print, this album finally gets the deluxe edition treatment, tacking on an album’s worth of top-notch extra material. I’m unsure why Mego always insists on replacing the original covers but, as long as I waited for this reissue, I don’t dare complain.