Put on those dancin’ shoes
Riaan Wolmarans
This week’s two recommended CDs are a local and an international offering in the dance genre.
German producer, remixer and DJ Paul van Dyk’s double CD The Politics of Dancing (EMI) is an unusual creation. At first glance it seems to be just another mix album but VanDyk has not just craftily put together smooth, trance-housey tracks. He has also painstakingly reworked each track. So, for example, the recent dance hit Rapture by iio gets a thumping new bassline.
The result is a very listenable and danceable session, with the first CD somewhat more relaxed and the second one more energetic (it’s what Van Dyk would play when the party gets going, according to the sleeve notes, and the first is what he would put on to start the evening off).
On a naughty and very much enjoyable note, Gauteng DJStuart Hillary has mixed a new album titled Phunky as Phuck (Gallo).
It captures perfectly the lively and very catchy mood of his sets at Jo’burg gay club Therapy, where he is a resident. Not only is the mixing top-class, but the track choice is excellent.
There’s a great version of The Ones’ hitFlawless and Macy Gray’s Sexual Revolution undergoes a dance transformation. With tracks like Richard F’s subversive Cookie Dough Dynamo the CD’s got a downright dirty, sensual and sexual feel to it, while the beat stays funky and relentless put it on and watch the party gyrate out of control.