Slow to Speak, the duo behind New York record store Dope Jams, have taken over FACT’s house and techno column.
For almost a decade now, Francis Englehardt and Paul Nickerson have run dance music’s most iconoclastic record store, and are as enthusiastic and enlightening with their recommendations as they are ruthless with their takedowns – just ask any of the high-profile DJs who’ve found themselves in their line of fire.
Every month, Slow to Speak round up the best new 12″s around – or at least, that’s the plan. In case you haven’t noticed, these dudes march to the beat of their own drum – so stuff from other years and genres invariably features alongside newer club-ready material.
This month, Nickerson and Englehardt decided that since they couldn’t find any good new records, they’d rustle up a list of their favorite compilation-only tracks.
If you’re by any chance drifting through Brooklyn this weekend, make sure you stop by the Dope Jams April Bash which will be taking place on Friday April 24 at Good Room. You can snag tickets right here.
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E³
‘Teak’
(From Down, Deep & Dark, Strictly Rhythm, 1995)
Taken from the classic Strictly Rhythm compilation Down, Deep & Dark, this is one of those long-lost compilation-only tracks that seems to have disappeared over time. It’s crazy to think that this is where Darshan Jesrani started his career; you have to wonder if there are any more E³ gems lying around on DATs somewhere.
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Salt City Orchestra And Derrick Carter
‘Got Change For A Twenty?’
(From Splinter, Paper Recordings, 1998)
Derrick Carter is at his best when he’s on vocals: he never lets you down. Maybe it’s because his vocal tracks are so few and far between that they are so special. Maybe it’s because when he does vocals he pushes a little bit harder than he normally would. Whatever it is, we are forever grateful for these records.
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Plastikman
‘Krakpot’ (Moby Remix)
(From Arkives 1993 – 2010, Minus, 2011)
Who would believe that Moby could still make a dope record, and that Richie Hawtin would be the man to get it done? It seems like a match made in hell yet somehow produced one of our favorite tracks of the last few years.
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Fingers, Inc.
A Path (Unreleased Mix)
(From Classic Fingers, La Casa, 1995)
To date, I’ve never heard this version anywhere else. Stripped and raw, this is one to play when the place is soaked in sweat.
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Espiritu
Man Don’t Cry (Modwheel Mix)
(From A Jedi’s Night Out, DMC, 1999)
Taken from Tom Middleton’s A Jedi’s Night Out, it is one of his shining moments. This track has a bassline that will knock down a fucking wall, then slowly drifts off into outer space. Classic.
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The Ananda Project
‘Straight Magic’ (Wamdue Kids Jazz Mix)
(From Abstract Jazz Lounge II, Nite Grooves, 1998)
Chris Brann is one of those strange anomalies in house music. He has made a string of classic records under the Wamdue Kids moniker as well as The Ananda Project and yet somehow still seems to slide under the radar of most. He’s one of the few true musicians in house music. This remix was only available on this comp and is still one of my favorite productions of his – classic Chris Brann.
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Incognito
‘Fearless’ (Blaze Shelter Dub)
(From Future Remixed, Talkin’ Loud, 2000)
Killer Blaze Dub that was only available as part of the 4LP Incognito Future Remixed compilation. This is the perfect transition record to really get a party started. From the glory days before Josh Milan and Kevin Hedge split up and the Shelter really went down the drain.
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Carl Craig
‘Angel’ (Japanese Mix)
(From From The Vault : Planet E Classics Collection Vol. 1, Planet E, 2006)
Dope vocal mix of ‘Angel’ featuring none other then Derrick Carter singing. God knows why this only came out on the Japanese Release of From The Vault : Planet E Classics Collection Vol. 1 but it’s definitely worth seeking out. This was released right around the start of the decline of Carl Craig or rather incline, as he put it all on autopilot and made sure therr was something in that retirement account. Derrick Carter saves the day again.
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Derrick May
‘Winter On The Blvd’
(From Innovator, Transmat, 1998)
Only available on the Innovator compilation of Derrick May’s finest work, this soul crushing ambient lament for Detroit is as good as his masterpieces like ‘Icon’ and ‘Kaotic Harmony’ and surely was recorded around the same time. Thank god he stopped making music – where the fuck could you go from here.
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Phil Collins
‘In The Air Tonight (Acoustic)’
(From The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, Island, 1982)
Probably my favorite version of this song. It was only released on the live LP from John Cleese’s The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball; he drops the most recognizable element of the song, the drums, and breaks your heart into ten million pieces with acoustic guitar and piano instead. Make sure you check the live version of ‘The Roof Is Leaking’ from the same LP.
