Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Horsepower Productions - The Lost Tapes EP


1. Boogaloo
2. Landslide Remix
3. What We Do (Original Mix)
4. Midnight Tease (Instrumental)

Sizzling EP of previously unreleased archive tracks from one of UK dance music's most influential outfits, the mighty Horsepower Productions. As you all surely know by now, In their inspired toughening and teching out of UK Garage, Horsepower effectively brought dubstep into being. In recent years they've favoured a pretty sludgy dubstep sound of their own, but this 12" captures the swinging 2-step energy of their classic period: the albums In Fine Style and To The Rescue and surrounding killer 12"s. 'Boogaloo' sums up everything that made Benny Ill's crew top boys back then - a spruce and spry garage roller, but with the tempo brought down a tad and ragga accents added for the smokers. 'Landslide Remix' is taut steppers' techno as only Horsepower can do it, all pinched BC chords and ceaseless sub-low wump (like a more minimal take on 'Classic Deluxe'). The original of 'What We Do', already seminal in the remixed version that came out in 2001, sounds incredible, with some Ghost-style, hi-speed garage flavour, that irresistible diva loop and an arsenal of brain-boxing FX. 'Midnight Tease (Instrumental)' sees us out on a nicely lubricated breakstep tip - to listen to it is to see precisely how hardcore and jungle begat garage. A brilliant and worthwhile 12" then, historically interesting but more importantly just the sound of Horsepower at their deadly, stealthy best...www.boomkat.com

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