Sueño Latino ‎- Sueño Latino (Derrick May’s Illusion First Mix) (1992)

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Andrea Gemolotto, Claudio Collino, Davide Rizzatti, Massimino Lippoli, Riccardo Persi were the Sueño Latino collaborative that brought Manuel Göttsching’s ‘E2-E4’ back to the fore in 1989 with their self-titled italo-house cover. To judgemental ears, the track was simply ‘E2-E4’ plus Carolina Damas’s vocals. However, 3 years later, techno legend Derrick May remixed Sueño Latino and created something far more golden. A shimmering sound. In retrospect, I think 1992 may have been the high water mark in house music.

Inner City – Big Fun (1988)

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A year after Substance, another album that helped define my musical interests was Techno! The New Dance Sound Of Detroit – the album’s already had a mention on this blog. Reputedly, ex-Northern Soul scenester Neil Rushton travelled from UK to Detroit to find content for 10 Records. He met Kevin Saunderson who had ‘Big Fun’ sitting there on tape. He’d recorded it the year before with Paris Grey, his vocalist for all of the Inner City sounds that would follow. Like his close buddies Derrick May and Juan Atkins (with whom he became known as one of The Belleville Three), Saunderson was on top of his game, and front and centre of a new wave of US dance music. ‘Big Fun’ featured on T!TNDSOD and then became a worldwide smash.

Frankie Knuckles ‎- The Whistle Song (1991)

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News broke yesterday of his Frankie Knuckles’ death. The man was house music royalty. Resident DJ at THE Warehouse in Chicago, he was a childhood friend of Larry Levan, he bought his first drum machine off Derrick May and worked with Jamie Principle and Robert Owens back in the day. Maybe too pop to be as cool as the pulsating ‘Your Love’, the seminal ‘Let The Music (Use You)’ or the cultured ‘Tears’, ‘The Whistle Song’ remains the island anthem best played to a setting sun. RIP Francis Nicholls.

Rhythim Is Rhythim – It Is What It Is (1988)

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From what I’ve read, ‘It Is What It Is’ was created in a single night, when 10 Records (Virgin) found that they didn’t have the impact start to their 1988 compilation Techno! The New Dance Sound Of Detroit. It ultimately kicked off that classic vinyl pressing and was subsequently released as a single by Transmat, Derrick May‘s own label. With its ambient setting, this is one of a handful of Detroit techno tracks that set the bar so high that it provided target practice for much of the entire house music genre that followed. Have a great weekend.

Rhythim Is Rhythim – Strings of Life (1987)

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And back we come to Derrick May. In the late 80s, May saw great success under the alias Rhythim is Rhythim, during which time he released the landmark ‘Strings of Life’ (do also check out RiR’s ‘It Is What It Is’ and ‘Icon: Montage Mix’). This track originally started life at 80 BPM before May increased the tempo, chopped it up into piano loops, and added percussion and string samples. In 1988, its 120+ BPM could be heard everywhere around the M25.

Inner City – Pennies From Heaven (Kevin’s Tunnel Mix) (1992)

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I missed Pavement’s great years while I was absorbed in the house music heyday of the early 90s. Inner City were probably most famous for their 1988 Detroit classics ‘Big Fun’ and ‘Good Life’. But greater heights were to come with a trinity of dancefloor fillers in 1992: ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Praise’ and Kevin Saunderson sublime Tunnel Mix of ‘Pennies From Heaven’. The sheer invention – at the time, nothing else sounded like this. I had the opportunity to take a handful of vinyl to a friend’s birthday a few weeks back. This track still attracts the attention of new (and younger) ears. Mr Saunderson – you (and your Belleville pals Juan Atkins and Derrick May) were ahead of the curve!