Various Artists ‘Late Night Tales: After Dark’

Late_Night_Tales_Presents_After_Dark_Artwork

Various Artists / Late Night Tales: After Dark Compiled By Bill Brewster

CD / Digital

Late Night Tales / Released May 2013

So far as compilations go, it’s safe to say we were over the moon when news broke of this latest addition to the finest post-club series on the planet. Which may surprise some people who are unfamiliar with the DJ History organisation, or its well-respected chief librarian.

Bill Brewster is a (living) legend in our eyes. As one of the chief chaps at the aforementioned company, his reputation for writing, editing lovely rave related books, and selecting fine musical ingredients to release on CD (History has its own albums, and they’re all well-worth checking out) or play in a club is difficult to match. A learned man when it comes to all that is and has been associated with dancing- from dub to techno- he’s exactly the kind of person who knows how to choose rare and overlooked classics.

Just as we predicted then, Late Night Tales: After Dark is a thoroughly enjoyable and educational adventure on compact disc (or download). Pegged as ‘dance music for people who know how to make love’, we’re given a sumptuous journey through some sexy, often pleasingly sleazy, and unarguably funky grooves. Existing somewhere between Andrew Weatherall, Soul Clap (leaning notably closer to the first name), funk and soul ‘proper’, the 18 tracks on offer represent a journey through the disco and electronic cosmos.

In many ways its a logical space for the release to occupy. The approach here is very much club focused, however the remit for Late Night Tales (and preceding Another Late Night) is usually anything but. As such crafting something like this represents a step up in terms of tempo and movement towards the DJ mix proper so far as the label and series goes. Technicalities aside, it’s difficult to imagine anyone not relishing in hearing this album’s contents without considering how and why it is the way it is. The individual tunes are exceptionally engrossing, never inaccessible, and always on point- three more reasons for our wholehearted recommendation.


Comments