by Ben Hogwood
What’s the story?
Bill Brewster returns to the decks for a new instalment in his After Dark series for Late Night Tales. Firmly entrenched as dance music royalty, Brewster has an encyclopedic knowledge of house, funk and disco, writing and co-writing a number of books and endlessly fascinating booklet notes. This love transfers effortlessly to his DJ sets and the music itself.
As before he has come up with an inventive selection of tracks old and new, plucking a number of rarities from behind the sofa, always with an eye on the overarching whole. Tracks are either brand new or digitally available for the first time.
Brewster describes his selection as “a basement, a red light and a sound system. Or, as the Beasties once rapped, slow and low, that is the tempo”.
What’s the music like?
Not surprisingly, slow and low – and very smooth with it. Brewster, whose modesty is commendable given all the tunes he knows, has come up with a set that casts its net far and wide musically. It’s a selection where the listener will find plenty to satisfy their curiosity.
Brewster’s own work in the studio shines through, joining Alex Tepper for the Hotel Motel remake of Jeb Loy Nichols’ Don’t Drop Me, the singer professing his love for ‘a little bit of dirt’. Nichols makes an excellent vocalist in this context, though it could be argued that Brewster’s work with Raj Gupta, as Mang Dynasty, is even finer. The pair lend a chunky groove to Khruangbin‘s So We Won’t Forget.
Where Brewster really scores is in the joyful unpredictability of his selections, which turn out to sound great next to each other. A great example begins with the persuasive rhythms of Jana Koubkova’s Nijána, which give way to the Hacienda-tinged vocals of Dan Wainwright and the excellent Come Home.
Island Band‘s Idle Hours is openly joyful, with its choruses of voices and saxophones. Meanwhile Gus Paterson, Fernando and IPG V Hot Toddy all present winsome summer grooves. The former’s Archipelago has a Balearic feel, while IPG’s Open Space explores a classy pool party vibe.
Wrapping things up are a nice bit of electro funk from Rheinzand, the Scorpio Twins remix of Kills And Kisses, and a very smooth, languid groove from Chaz Jankel, Manon Manon.
Does it all work?
It does indeed. The music here is gloriously unhurried, and with each track able to play out there is plenty of space around the notes.
Is it recommended?
Certainly – a great complement to previous releases in the series. Bill Brewster certainly understands what makes a dancefloor tick.
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