James Curd – In With The Old, In With The New review

Artist: James Curd
Title: In With The Old, In With The New
Label: Greenskeepers
Genre: Funky House/Club House
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download

Exclusive to Juno, here are four tracks from Chicago-born producer James Curd. Having beaten his own path from cult indie band Greenskeepers (a favourite of John Peel), he’s made a name for himself as a DJ and beat-merchant over the last few years. In With The Old… shows off the range of styles that Curd’s got under his belt.

Anyone who was partial to his 2009 DFA single “We Just Won’t Stop” will love “Party Over Here”, a house tune anchored by a jazzy piano and brushes, with some clarinet reminiscent of vintage Mr Scruff. It seems like Mr Curd has been rifling through some pretty vintage records looking for samples, as the trad jazz vibe spills over onto “Be My Baby”, which breaks into a 50’s doo-wop vocal loop, similar to “The Wiseguys Start The Commotion”, over a classy house beat.

“Can You Get It” is a heavier, synth-disco odyssey that doesn’t lose any of its funkiness under the vocoders and big hard riffs. “Got To Have” is even bigger, complete with face-melting distortion in the vein of Justice’s “Let There Be Light”. Peppered with live drum fills and a guitar solo (remember those?), it’s truly stadium-sized.

Review: Oliver Keens