SEVEN DAVIS JR レコード& CD

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged, but otherwise in excellent condition***


Seven Davis Jr continues exploring his sound via his own Secret Angels label, unfettered by external input and able to present his creative vision as he sees fit. He's in club mode on this second instalment of his "Sev Was Here" series, but this time round it's not quite as edgy as its predecessor. Davis Jr's vocals are out front, dealing with matters of the heart over those crucial, distinctive deep house bumps. "Your Lover" is a snappy, sexy number that works around an addictive, looped up hook, while "Rollercoaster" takes things a little more jacking. "Birds & Bee's" keeps the percussive pressure up, before the husky vocals come back in full force on killer closer "Cupid."

Review: Seven Davis Jr continues exploring his sound via his own Secret Angels label, unfettered by external input and able to present his creative vision as he sees fit. He's in club mode on this second instalment of his "Sev Was Here" series, but this time round it's not quite as edgy as its predecessor. Davis Jr's vocals are out front, dealing with matters of the heart over those crucial, distinctive deep house bumps. "Your Lover" is a snappy, sexy number that works around an addictive, looped up hook, while "Rollercoaster" takes things a little more jacking. "Birds & Bee's" keeps the percussive pressure up, before the husky vocals come back in full force on killer closer "Cupid."

Review: A third round of edits from The Love Below stable arrives and is perhaps the best thus far in the prospering series, with contributions from Eliphino, Seven Davis Jr and Rekchampa. Londoner Eliphino is first up and digs into the archives of Will I Am, drawing on a highlight from his underrated 2001 BBE LP Lost Change. In original form, "Lost Change" was a hazy number blessed by seductive vocals from Terry Dexter and it's to Eliphino's credit that his rework retains much of the charm, whilst upping the tempo and implementing some nice rhythmic edits. Many comparisons have been made between Seven Davis Jr and Prince (not least thanks to a great cover of "Controversy") and the former's excellent broken version of "Purple Music" will only serve to strengthen such a flattering viewpoint. Don't sleep on Rekchampa's killer rerub of Jimmy Bo Horn's funk standard either!

Review: The ever-prolific Seven Davis Jr has been thoroughly generous in sharing out his smoky, sensual strain of deep house in recent years, with the dust still settling from his last album. Now he's back with a full tilt five track EP that hints at a new direction to come, embracing the momentum and minimalism of techno without losing the distinctive bump that his music just can't do without. "No Mercy" is a dark, kinetic affair while "Lipstick" gets tougher, funkier and rawer. "Super Model" is a sleazy jam that revolves around a strutting beat and a nasty bassline, with some of Davis Jr's cool and deadly vocals rolling over the top. "On The Catwalk" has a rugged Dance Mania feel to the groove, and then "To Be Continued" spells out that this new, ruffneck direction for Seven Davis Jr has got a future.

Review: Seven Davis Jr. describes Karizma and Osunlade as "close friends and kindred spirits", so it's little surprise to find them remixing a couple of tracks from his Universal full-length. It's the former who kicks things off, donning the lesser-used Kaytronik guise to lay down two versions of "Sunday Morning". The Ruff Kut Mix doffs a cap to both bumpin' deep house and the cut-up garage explorations of Todd Edwards, whilst retaining the inherent soul of Davis's original. His Love Break Dub, meanwhile, turns to the stuttering breakbeats of B-more club jams for inspiration, again utilizing some sweet melodies from the original. On the flip, Osunlade delivers vocal and instrumental interpretations of "Welcome Back", both of which sound like swinging, ultra-deep Yoruba Soul classics in the making.

Review: There was something rather fitting about Seven Davis Jr appearing on Classic last year. Here, the two thrillingly eccentric, low-slung, Prince-influenced boompty house cuts that made up that 12" get the remix treatment. Detroit Swindle handle the A-side, turning "Friends" into the kind of acid-laced, Derrick Carter-influenced, bumpin' house monster that would once have appeared on Classic offshoot Music For Freaks. On the flip, Dubliner Krystal Klear continues his journey into the world of clap-happy, peak-time house, with a version of "Beautiful" whose power is derived from a colossal sub-bass line, fizzing synthensizer flourishes and some kicking drum machine percussion.

Review: After a busy year that saw releases on Funkineven's Apron and Classic, Seven Davis Jr returns to London's Ninja Tune with a new LP, his second to date and a follow-up to this year's Wild Hearts EP for the same label. Universes is a stunning body of music comprised of fifteen tracks, all of which showcase Seven's many different styles and abilities behind the mixing desk...after all, it is called Universes! Our favourite moments have to be "Everybody Too Cool" because it reminds us of Outkast at their most daring, the off-kilter beats of "Karma", "Options" and its pseudo techno stance, and the abstract soul wails of "Fighters". Check it, there's plenty of goodness inside.