MICKY FINN Vinyl & CDs

Review: Okbron Records carry out the divine task of reformatting an early yet rare Micky Finn and Aphrodite tape cut onto vinyl. ‘AWOL’ is a clever pun, serving as an acronym for both the wartime connotations of the phrase “absent without leave”, and the spiritual paths implied in the phrase A Way Of Life, which also served as the title of Micky Finn’s multi-tape series, recorded in East London and which spanned the early-to-mid ‘90s. ‘AWOL’ and ‘Dark Selector’ have likely existed for decades, serving as lost tunes from the rough point in time when Finn and Aphrodite laid down their timeless Takeover Bid mix for Mixmag. Packed with funk licks and gulping basses, all tunes heat the dancefloor stovetop in no time.

Review: Those of a particular vintage will remember well the jump up sounds of Mickey Finn and Aphrodite which found particular favour with Mary Anne Hobbs in the early days of her Breezeblock show. Released in 1996, "Bad Ass" was perhaps the most ubiquitous track from the duo and its dragged all the way into the 21st Century thanks to this pair of remixes from perennial red liners Slum Dogz and Serial Killaz. As you'd expect when Doctor P is involved, the Slum Dogz effort is caked in epicness, successfully balancing their own distinct production touches with elements of the original. The Serial Killaz effort takes an industrial approach with equally screw face inducing results.