Strings of Life
Top Ten Deep Chicago Instrumentals
The phrase “hi-tech soul” is most often associated with Detroit, but Chicago’s much bigger house scene produced more than its share of basement masterpieces. It’s easy to lose sight of the pure, underground tracks released between 1985 and 1992 amongst a sea of commercial dance acts. Thankfully a re-interest in techno’s roots has resulted in some long-overdue reissues. Here are my choices to illustrate the deeper non-acid side of early house.
Mr. Fingers: “Mystery of Love (Dub Version)”
Alleviated Records, 1985 [mp3 excerpt]
It’s hard to narrow down my favorite Larry Heard tracks, yet his very first was also one of his sweetest. The dub version, also included on the Nuphonic compilation David Mancuso Presents The Loft, is spacey and beautiful, with ascending echoes over a smooth, unrelenting bassline. The effect is hypnotic and transcendent.
Mr. Fingers: “Can You Feel It”
from “Washing Machine,” Trax, 1986 [mp3 excerpt]
An obvious choice, to be sure. Every track on this EP is beautiful, but best is the original, instrumental version of “Can You Feel It.” It has just the right amount of melancholy emotion to make the dance floor a deeper place.
Virgo: “Free Yourself”
Trax, 1986 [mp3 excerpt]
This short-lived collaboration between Adonis, Marshall Jefferson, and Vince Lawrence is one of the most beautiful Trax EPs. The title track’s wavering strings would fit right in with Derrick May’s Transmat releases.
Joe R. Lewis: “Love Mystery”
from “Love Of My Own,” Target Records, 1987 [mp3 excerpt]
Original copies of this EP fetch over $200 on eBay, but the key tracks were recently bootlegged (by the aptly named Booton Records). My favorite is actually “Love Mystery,” with its swelling strings and child-like bassline. There’s something pure and innocent about this one.
Laurent X: “12 A.M.”
from “Machines,” House Nation Records, 1988 [mp3 excerpt]
While better known for its A-side, the dark acid-electro masterpiece “Machines,” I want to focus on “12 A.M.” Strings fall over not-too-low bass stabs and perfect analogue drums. It all flows seamlessly into “Drowning in a Sea of House,” which is not quite as beautiful despite a fuller bassline. Perhaps the man screaming, “Help!” is too distracting.
Virgo Four: “In a Vision”
from “Do You Know Who You Are?” Trax, 1989 [mp3 excerpt]
Everything about this track is beautiful, from the most delicate blips, to the lush melodic strings and ever-changing old-school percussion. The recent Belgian re-issue has criminally bad sound quality, but Radical Records licensed the EP when it first came out, and both the vinyl and CD issues sound great if you can find them.
Ron Trent: Altered States
from “The Afterlife,” Warehouse Records, 1990 [mp3 excerpt]
Thirteen minutes of luxurious yet lo-fi strings stretching into infinity. What more can be said?
3.2.6.: “Magic Fingers”
from “Just Like Heaven,” Dance Mania, 1991 [mp3 excerpt]
Listen to those synths sing! This would fit in with a Detroit set if it didn’t sound so muffled. I have a copy that looks pristine, yet it still sounds like it was recorded to a cassette tape and the record scuffed with sandpaper. “Love Is…” is in the same vein, but even wonkier.
Brian Harris: “Wizdom”
from Crime Stories, Chicago Underground, 1992 [mp3 excerpt]
Something about the bassline on this one grabs me every time. The keys are hindered by recording quality, but there’s a great moment half-way through when a new melody kicks in.
Ace & The Sandman: “Let Your Body Talk”
Saber Records, 1992 [mp3 excerpt]
While not quite instrumental, this production by the duo behind Virgo Four has the sweetest minor chords, bleeps aplenty, and breaks that will bring a tear to your eye. This one is the pinnacle of Detroit-sounding Chicago house.
Comments
Nice list with some obvious choices as well as some stone-cold classics. I would also add Sweet D's title track from the 1986 EP "Thank Ya" (http://www.discogs.com/release/2239) - one of my favorite house records ever.
Sotek, Oct 29, 2008 22:24
Nice to see ace and the sandman up there. A quality ten. Hard to keep it down to that few but here's a few more
Id have Mixx blood camero - Sweet Nectar
Melodious myles - Love Odyssee
Master C and J - Face it/In the City/When you Hold me
Farley JM - Farley knows House
Placid, Oct 30, 2008 10:37
i so remember those tracks and those days. it was about the music. and i wasn't aware of the revolution as it was happening.
but this was and is a revolution.
shake shakir
anthony shakir, Oct 30, 2008 10:39
Well said Shake! I'm honored you posted. I'm a big fan of your music.
Jacob, Oct 30, 2008 10:51
Video Mind - Do It For Me & I'II Do It For You
E.S.P. - It's You
Also surprised Jamie Principle didn't make it on there.
Jim, Oct 30, 2008 12:25
don't forget:
Phuture-Acid Trcks
Chip E.-Time to Jack
Adonis-No Way Back
Sleezy D.-I've Lost Control
Marshall Jefferson-Move Your Body
Master C & J-Dub Love
and on and on.... :)
So much good Chicago house!
cheers Jacob!
chris / yard
Yard, Oct 31, 2008 13:29
as much as i love the music from Detroit in a major way, this old chicago shit is the most inspirational to me. its so lo-fi and beautiful, as if they gloried in the DIY ethic instead of the constant pursuit of "professional sound quality" that plagues modern music. and they just put their souls into those grooves, the bad pressings almost makes it sound better to me as it increases the flaws which make the beauty all the more obvious. good post!
tom/pipecock, Nov 1, 2008 00:08
"but this was and IS a revolution.
shake shakir"
emphasis added by me! i feel like so much of what happens in house music is just not even related to this revolution that is still going strong......
tom/pipecock, Nov 1, 2008 00:09
It's funny, but I had a lot of trouble coming up with a sub-title for this piece. I've been buying lots of old records, and these ten tracks obviously seem connected, but it's hard to describe why. I tried the adjectives "sweetest" and "deepest," but they made people think of vocal tracks. Ultimately, I think these records embody a style that hasn't yet been named. Theo Parrish, Jamal Moss, and Omar-S definitely seem related. Maybe "lo-tech soul"?
Jacob, Nov 1, 2008 11:43
perhaps controversially, i find the best thing to call all of this stuff is "good house music" ;)
seriously though, trying to call it anything else really ends up failing on many levels. obviously its all better than most house music out there, but it is house first and foremost.
tom/pipecock, Nov 6, 2008 21:28
must say that on psychotic photosynthesis omar s get high tech for sure. its advanced and still has restraint.
let your body talk is a great record...long live saber recs
alex, Dec 1, 2008 01:21
I guess this list could go on and on. But I think something is missing. what about 'Your love' by Frankie Knuckles. I know he only put his name on it but the vocalist sounds like he means it, like a previous post said there is heart and soul in those grooves.
DJVorn, Jan 5, 2009 16:14
oooops, that would be the instrumental list......doh
DJVorn, Jan 5, 2009 16:16
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