Rush Hour Holland レコード& CD

Review: Helmed by Kid Batchelor and Keith Franklin, Bang The Party were one of the first UK groups to capture the acid house explosion as it found a foothold in the legendary RIP parties and other seminal early spots. Their sound bridges the gap from the prior rare groove warehouse scene and gives it a sweaty Chicago injection, and it's captured brilliantly on this, their breakthrough debut record from 1987. There's a strong soulful edge to 'I Feel Good All Over', while 'Jacques Theme' has a dreamy, surreal tint, and 'Release Your Body' channels a little Motor City flair in its twitchy synth lines and drum programming, but crucially this was one of the first indications of house and techno finding a distinct character across the pond ahead of the wider house culture that would blow up in the years that followed. Truly pioneering music.

Review: Rush Hour have released some killer reissues in their time, and this mini-album from Ben Cenac of Newcleus fame, released under the Dream 2 Science moniker in 1990 is no exception, sounding like a conscious response to the warm, soul-flecked offerings of contemporaries Bobby Konders, the Burrell Brothers and Lamont Booker. Amazingly, Dream 2 Science still sounds remarkably fresh, 22 years on. The production, in particular, is terrific. While many house records of the period sound clumsy and dated, there's a timeless quality to the intricately programmed drum machine rhythms, the drifting chords, warm analogue basslines and cute vibraphone melodies.