The Them On The Hill collective was founded in Sheffield circa 1993 by a group of talented young DJs and party people to put on top notch club nights and warehouse jams in the UK’s ‘rave’ heyday. These parties were renowned and respected as events where the deepest and freshest tunes from Chicago, New York, and Detroit (and music influenced by those cities) could be heard. In 2010, inspired by those past hedonistic days and the sounds that accompanied them, Them On The Hill transformed into a music label focusing on releases and projects from the collective’s members.
Better known as DJ Raw (he has stepped away from the decks and dropped the ‘DJ’ part), Raw is a longtime staple of Sheffield’s dance music scene, starting his career on local community radio playing a mix of UK and US house in the 80s. In 1997 Raw collaborated with Callum Wordsworth as Digital Boogie, releasing tunes for DIY Discs, Funknose, and Candy Records. Also, Raw worked with fellow Sheffield DJ/producer Groove Assassin as Vibes Inc., contributing seminal tunes for labels like Glasgow Underground, 4th Floor, Transport, and Black Vinyl Records. On Hutchinson’s Project Vol. 1, Raw gives tribute to his given name (Steven Hutchinson) along with the classic house and disco sounds that provide much influence. The EP’s three tracks begin with “Think Positive” which busts out in an appropriately uplifting fashion, wrapping the dance floor in a funky flurry of percussion, phased guitar, and harmony-rich vocals. “Go Bak” follows with a summery, latin house feel complete with rolling piano riffs and Raw’s trademark effects and filtered sections. “The Story Unfolds” closes the release, launching with a serious broken beat-style rhythm as spacey strings, organ passages, and tribal vocals combine to provide a vision of some groovy faraway oasis.
Quentin Harris - “Good use of samples on ‘Think Positive.’ I’m feeling it.”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “I love the way the beats get built. so nice to hear many of these samples again.”
Nick Warren - “Brilliant stuff. I love it.”
Tensnake - “A classic disco vibe at its best.”
Colin Dale (Abstrakt Dance) - “In a word - ‘class.’”
Danny Ashenden (C90s / Earl Grey) - “Great! Super disco vibes.”
Sleazy McQueen - “Totally interesting! I’ll play them all.”
Hippie Torrales - “Great package … the energy and groove are on target.”
Christos Kedras (Kapa Music) - “Nice EP. ‘Go Bak’ is my pick with its afro / broken beat action. It’s in the bag.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Nicely deep and funky vibes here. ‘The Story Unfolds’ has an Atjazz vibe going on, which is cool.”
Black Mighty Wax (Irma Records) - “Amazing stuff from a man who knows his club music very well.”
Kosta (Vibe FM / Dance FM) - “One of the best EPs so far this year in my book. I love the syncopated rhythms!”
Bobi (Global Movement Radio Show) - “This entire EP is really great. I’m feeling and loving this whole release. Deep and funky.”
Richard Hardcastle (Solid State / All Out War) - “Raw shows his talent for isolating funky grooves and loops yet again. I love these.”
Velanche (Velanche’s Playtime Radio Show) - “This EP is a beast … it’s got ‘party’ written all over it.”
Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.