‘King of the edit’ The Revenge, known for his reworks of disco classics, will release his First full-length on Z Records later this month. Any good? Here’s what we think…
We always had a soft spot for disco and in terms of getting the funk on, The Revenge’s right on the money in the most credible of ways. Being dubbed ‘king od the edit’ by fellow disco heads (producers and fans alike), Graeme Clarke has been releasing a variety of chunky remixes of disco classics, such as his huge rework of The Joneses Summer Groove, which is also featured on this album. But it’s not only disco that he fancies. Spending his youth on the isolated coasts of Scotland, Grame grew up amindst his father’s dusty drum machines and his parents’ rich record collection that spans funk, rock and soul amongst others. This heritage is reflected on Reekin’ Structions, which has become a lively venture through roughly forty years of dance music.
The ten-track albums opens with Graeme’s lowdown and funky edit of Mid-Air’s Ease Out, a poolside groover oozing with roaring bass stabs and jazzy elements, then moves to more soulful heights on the slow-moving Feel The Beat by Johnny Adams. After these lovely tunes, Velvet’s Hammer Party Down adds a bit of dancefloor flavor to the album with more uptempo rhythms after which we’re taken back to the seventies on the classic, and still very powerful, Summer Groove by The Joneses. Near the end, we come across the undisputed highlight: The Revenge’s edit of Letta Mbulu’s Kilimanjoro, a vivid, cheerful and irresistibly groovy tune with great rhythm elements and a superb overall vibe. This track is perhaps the best proof of The Revenge’s skills in reworking a track without losing its original magic.
Our verdict: Whereas numerous contemporary disco producers tend to aim for the dancefloor, The Revenge serves a spicy dish of both slo-mo grooves as catchy floorburners that are best enjoyed chilling poolside. The biggest pitfall one could have stumbled across when partaking in the art of re-editing is completely ruining the original flavor of a track, and the fact that The Revenge merely emphasizes the strong points of each cut is perhaps the biggest accomplishment of his efforts. Reekin’Structions has above all become an album that pays tribute to the disco era, but in such a way that newcomers to the genre will recognize the references to today’s popular nu-disco sound.
Stand out tracks: The Joneses – Summer Groove, Letta Mbulu – Kilimajaro. Weak moments: Electric Smoke – Freak It Out
Rating: 7.5/10 Label: Z Records Release date: April 25th, 2011
Tracklisting 1. Mid-Air – Ease Out 2. Johnny Adams – Feel The Beat 3. Sargeant & Malone – Love Message 4. Velvet Hammer – Party Down 5. The Joneses – Summer Groove 6. Chapter Three – Smurf Trek 7. Electric Smoke – Freak It Out 8. Letta Mbulu – Kilimanjaro 9. Vance & Suzanne – I Can’t Get Along Without You 10. Nel Oliver – Dream On
Disco - 
