Music Reviews
Artist:
Armand Van HeldenTitle:
Ghetto BlasterLabel:
Southern Fried Records
The man who made his name from remixing Tori Amos’ 1996 smash ‘Professional Widow’ and other classics like ‘You Don’t Know Me’ and more recently ‘My My My’ fame has gone back to the beginning of his musical career with his nostalgic take on early house, late disco and hip-hop breaks and he produces some great results. With no-frills execution of the music that influenced 80’s B-Boys and early 90’s house producers gems like the electro-filled ‘Still in Love’ which sounds like a modern-day Eurthymics record with it’s 80’s-like synths and ‘Go Crazy’ with its unrelenting claps and and layered drum beat. The looping drums on ‘Playmate’ are reminiscent of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s ‘It Takes Two’ and are accompanied by some bottom end electro bass with some authentic ‘round the way girl’ vocals by Roxy Cottontail. There’s a real throwback feel the whole album from the artwork on the front cover which shows a close-up of a bass speaker even to the distinctive hi-hats to signal the end of some of the tracks like ‘Je T’Aime’. Whether you be new to the distinctive sound of the late 80’s or in fact grew up with it this album still seems so fresh in all its retro glory and is authentic in its representation of that era, a definite must for the connoisseurs.
Rating: 4/5
Words By:
Dane Bradshaw
