Various Artists ‘Phil Weeks: Crate Diggin 3’

Crate Diggin

 

Various Artists – ‘Phil Weeks: Crate Diggin 3’ 

Digital / Vinyl

Robsoul Recordings / Released August 2013 

 

OK, so the compilation series is called Crate Diggin, and on this instalment the first five tracks (from a total of nine on offer) are all produced by people called DJ something. Logically then, the package comprises house music that will find most favour amongst people who enjoy mixing as much as listening.

As per with Robsoul (albeit these aren’t originally Robsoul recordings) the tracks all pack a weighty low end punch, and are pretty stripped down, which is exactly the kind of thing that lends itself to being cut up and switched about. Of course we’re not here to review from a turntable tools perspective, or at least we do need to pay some attention to the tracks themselves, and so let’s move on.

Although it has appeared on a few other ‘from the archive’ albums, opening with DJ Assassin’s Another Face In The Crowd is always going to have this office nodding along in agreement. And things proceed with similarly agreeable, difficult not to be hooked by, four four rhythms, calling off at Inland Knights’ timeless vocal stomper, Long Time, DJ Sneak’s basic-acid assault, Fear The World, and  Samson’s deliciously infectious storming party anthem Hear Me. 

What variety can be identified still wholly falls under the loose term of ‘proper house’, and all the better for it. A celebration of that which Phil Weeks loves, has mastered the art of making and playing, it exemplifies what’s good about upfront sounds like this- the no bullshit, no messing about attitude of dance music made solely for dancing too in any scenario. Soul-inflected, sample heavy, dirty floor-filling classics,  if that sounds like your kind of thing then we highly recommend investigating this first hand.

 


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