Raw - Hutchinson's Project Vol 2 (Them On The Hill)

The '90s DJ collective turned record label from Sheffield Them On The Hill returns to the fray with the second installment of Raw's Hutchinson's Project series. The series pays tribute to Raw's given name (Steven Hutchinson) and sonically reflects the classic house and disco sounds that influence him.

Previously 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.

Hutchinson's Project Vol 2 builds upon the percussion-friendly, broken beat, disco-infused house of its predecessor. "Latin Jazz" delivers a beat down of tribal rhythms before bringing to bat a smooth, drawn-out bass line and thin but melodic synths. Weaving in and out, a female vocal hook demands "all you've got" and expounds on the title of the track. A bright and breezy affair, "Stabbed" features rubbery, oscillating chords and equally uplifting percussion with subdued snare rolls, lovely hand percussion, and snappy claps. As if that wasn't enough, it's topped off with cool whispery vocals, urging the listener even further towards letting go with an echo of "come on." The release is rounded off by a rhythmically scattered and melodically revolving deep cut in "Related To The Blues". The voice of a late, great, and indistinguishable poet provides thought-provoking spoken word lecturing on the blues.

Chris Duckenfield (Swag) - "A true Sheffield inspiration … I'm so glad to hear these tunes."
Graeme Park - "'Latin Jazz' is absolutely bloody superb!"
Todd Edwards - "I love the vibe."
Inland Knights - "'Related To The Blues' is wicked!"
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - "Raw and ruff!"
Groove Assassin (Pacha / Defected) - "Hot grooves yet again from Sheffield's finest!"
DJ Craig C (Pound Boys) - "Nice throwback vibe on this one! 'Stabbed' reminds me of late nights in the early '90s."
Pete Williams (Natural Rhythm) - "I'm digging this for sure. 'Stabbed' is the one for me."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "I like the retro sound to this … a real breezy uplifting house feel."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / BBE) - "Chunky classic sounds here. I will give 'em a spin!"
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) - "I'm digging the Nervous Records / MAW feel of 'Latin Jazz'."
Phat Phil Cooper (Nu Northern Soul) - "Ace … lovely vibes."
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "Truly eclectic and enchanting."
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Wonderful, wonderful house music … 'Latin Jazz' will have people coming to your side needing to know what it is."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Raw - Hutchinson's Project Vol. 1 (Them on the Hill)

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.

Raw - Pull Up A Groove EP (Them On The Hill)

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. For his Pull Up A Groove EP, Raw unleashes a trio of jazzy, uptempo house music tracks that will help bring the summer months much closer. The title cut features a chunky disco rhythm, a bit of snazzy percussion, and some heavy filter action over some foxy sample loops. “Go Higher” raises the tempo along with the dance floor stakes, featuring more slinky disco beats anchoring jazzy guitar riffs, spacey pads, and a floor-filling vocal line. “Loophole Funk” switches things up with a classic breakbeat rhythm, a funk-tastic bass line, and some effective vocal and flute bits that aren’t immune to the filter treatment. Pure disco bliss … dig in with Them On The Hill.

Miguel Migs - “‘Pull Up A Groove’ … sounds funky!”
DJ Sneak - “Really dope sh*t!”
Glenn Underground - “‘Pull Up A Groove’ is solid.”
Johnny Fiasco - “Digging the sample vibes!”
Graeme Park - “Mighty fine.”
Mousse T. - “Dope!”
Robert Owens - “A great group of tracks.”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “The title track is the one for me here … it’s got such a good feeling to it. Should bring the smiles to the dance floor.”
Moodymanc - “Wicked vibes … love these!”
Hippie Torrales - “Pure disco fire.”
Sebastian Davidson - “If you had told me this was Masters At Work I would have believed it … wow.”
Manuel Sahagun - “Sexy beats.”
Ant Plate (Rhythm Plate, YSE) - “Pure, chunky, straight-up club vibes … yes!”
Groove Assassin - “Amazing stuff from Sheffield’s finest … heavy support!”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “This is rocking!”
Norbert Borchers (House Sound of Hamburg) - “Hot hot hot! This EP is pure power!”

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.

Raw / Darren Clark - Jazz EP (Them On The Hill)

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.

The sixth release from Them On The Hill spotlights two producers and is unified by a jazzier deep house sound. It is, after all, the Jazz EP. Included within:

Raw - “Digital Jazz Fix”
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. For Them On The Hill, Raw presents “Digital Jazz Fix,” a flowing track with intricate rhythms and percussion, swinging keys, and a few well-placed vocal drops. The track definitely harks back to a different time, and would probably not sound out of place at one of the collective’s mid-90’s warehouse parties. In 1988, Raw toured New Zealand with another Sheffield DJ, Tempo, and his magical time on the island inspired the accompanying NZ Dub Mix. It’s a warmer, more liquid take that grooves and moves, suitable for some proper summertime action.

Darren Clark - “Free Form”
Continuing with the New Zealand inspiration, Them On The Hill snags Auckland resident Darren Clark for the the next track, the swirling, deep house treasure that is “Free Form.” Darren started out on saxophone, playing in a funk-reggae band in his formative years, but quickly caught the house music bug after experiencing the acclaimed Mum’s The Word club night in Auckland. Darren’s knowledge of music, including classic funk, disco, and rock, influences a deep, perceptive sound in his own writing and production. His debut Darren Clark Project EP, released by Lou Gorbea’s Omi Tutu Productions, garnered attention from the likes of Ron Trent, DJ Gregory, and Jay Tripwire. Darren’s cut “Free Form” was inspired by the spirit of Pharaoh Sanders and soulful jazz in general, leading to a building, growling deep house track with loads of layers and evocative sonic elements. The cut uses a bit of analog technology to add warmth, and the pronounced, steady bass line caresses like a hypnotic hug. It’s gorgeous stuff, and certain to be a highlight of after-hours sets the world over.

Mark Farina - “I dig this.”
Roy Davis Jr. - “I’m digging the dub!”
Marques Wyatt - “Dope!”
Robert Owens - “Love it.”
Abicah Soul - “Groovy EP. Support guaranteed!”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Great stuff here. ‘Free Form’ is dope.”
Murray Richardson (Rebel Waltz) - “Yes! This is the sound.”
Lars Behrenroth (Deeper Shades Of House) - “Nice nineties styles! I’m diggin’ the jazzy shuffle.”
Ant Plate (Rhythm Plate / YSE) - “Chunky, funky, raw groove lockers.”
Jevne (OneThirty Recordings) - “NZ dub has a nice bump to it! Will play.”
DJ Phil T (DJ Times Magazine) - “Wow …. deep, cool, and funky.”
Gareth Morgan (Blues & Soul Magazine) - “This is so simple, yet so catchy. The piano break is unexpected and adds to the strength of this release. I am feeling this track massively.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House) - “‘Digital Jazz Fix’ is a truly brilliant jazz-inspired four-to-the-floor production.”
TJ Norris (Resident Advisor) - “Bring it on! This is not just ‘Digital Jazz Fix’ - this is the whole enchilada. Its brightly colored and funky as all get out.”
Joan Ribas (Cafe del Mar) - “Wow … superb!”
Tony D’Onghia (Radio Koper-Capodistria) - “What the world needs now is more music like this! Fabulous!”

Additional support from Mousse T., Jota Wagner, Bryan Jones, Danny Massure, Makossa & Megablast, Edground, Pedro Goya, Alex Dimitri South Soul, DJ EMan, and Blacksoul.

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.