San Francisco house music imprint Handmade Recordings gets set to drop their ninth release, “Loose” from label veteran Michael Ruris, and it’s aimed towards fans of Chicago’s old school acid house sound. This is modern acid house though; minimalist, electronic funk that slyly nods to the phuturistic sounds of Chi-town’s yesteryears of dance floor glory.
“Loose” opens with a beatless intro, comprised of the original’s keyboard signature and a heavy, ambient presence. Then the kick-drum breaks through and is joined by a hi-hat and snare combo that slices through the darkness. An organ bass line joins the fray and pushes all these elements into a rolling, bouncy ensemble, perfect for the peak time dance floor.
The second MIchael Ruris mix, “Loose (Acid),” is everything that the title proclaims it to be. The acid in this little jam is subtle and comes on slowly, before taking hold and making the dance floor holler, “Ow, ow, owsley!” The 303 squelch is sandwiched between tough, funky beats, metallic keyboard sounds, and a tough, understated bass line. This track is not trying to burn you, but make you prance … its one for the surreal end of the AM or one just before the big build to midnight.
Closing things out is Alland Byallo (Bad Animal, Poker Flat) who takes “Loose” into deeper, funkier, and more abstract waters. The bass line jumps out more in the mix, drifting, 313-esque strings float in and out, the beats roll, climb and swing, and a dislocated voice spooks the tiny shards of synth that wheel around in the stereo field. It’s a groover for dancey heads who like things dancey yet heady.
Dubfire - “The Alland Byallo remix … 5 out of 5.”
Ewan Pearson - “The acid mix is the one for me.”
Jay West - “I dig it!”
Deepchild - “A Byallo remix is a remix well solicited. Homestar brings the heat with everything he touches.”
Neil Quigley - “Liking the acid version very much … I’ll definitely play this.”
Brett Johnson - “A solid package.”
Monty Luke - “Gonna check this out ASAP!”
DJ Schwa (Shades of Gray) - “The acid version and Alland Byallo’s mixes are great.”
Tyler Stadius - “I like the quirky, eerie feel in the original.”
Will SumSuch (Deepwit / Etoka) - “The acid mix is nice and twisted … good stuff!”
Jesus Pablo - “The Alland Byallo remix is on the money.”
Mark Bamford (Spiritchaser / Guess Records) - “The acid mix had me screwing my face up and nodding my head … I like it!”
JP Soul (Roam Recordings) - “Nice EP! Alland’s remix does it for me with the spaced old old-school warehouse party vibe.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “The acid version just pips it for me … the vibe is more stripped back and the groove is allowed to roll. Top class. Alland drops a cracking and really intriguing reworking … I love the way the groove builds and develops as the track grows. Ace!”
Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.