by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

This is one of those anniversaries that make writers feel old – especially this one, who was starting to write when Glaswegian duo Silicone Soul put their Darkroom Dubs plan into full action.

Rather than look back with rose-tinted glasses, however, Craig Morrison and Graeme Reedie have commissioned a whole new set of deep and dark house music, with 14 tracks making the cut.

What’s the music like?

Happily the tunes and beats collected here are in the best Darkroom Dubs tradition, with some fulsome house beats, darkly coloured textures and reassuringly full-bodied beats.

Highlights include the loping beat and robotic precision of Phunkadelica’s Phunkarama, and the excellent Lucky Luciano from Am$trad Billionaire with its rhythmic impulse. Undo’s Vencejos makes clever use of swifts in the background, a great pairing with the solid beats, while Amount‘s Figure Skating is an excellent cut, bubbling under the surface. Few tracks, however, can match the confident strut of Subcisco’s Boiling Point, the lean bass of Nuclear Digital Transistor’s Lead Boys, or the voiceover / synth combo of Local Suicide & Wiener Planquadrat’s Flashdance.

Does it all work?

It does indeed – and satisfies both the newcomer and the label afficionado.

Is it recommended?

Definitely. Raising a glass to Silicone Soul and their excellent Darkroom Dubs venture, with the hope it will only appreciate in value as time goes on. The signs are very good from this compilation!

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