Presence – Sense of Danger (MCDE/PPF remixes) review

With Juno Records hitting its tenth release we revisit yet another classic from the archives of electronic music royalty. Producer, label boss, DJ & remixer extraordinaire Charles Webster will need no introduction to house music lovers, and it’s his 1998 collaboration with renowned UK vocalist Shara Nelson which gets a 2010 touch up. Orignally out on the seminal label Pagan, “Sense of Danger” was a real deep house anthem back in 1998, so it was imperative to leave it in good hands for remix duties. The Popular People’s Front, the disco house supergroup made up of anonymous musical activists are just that. PPF breath new life into “Sense of Danger”, with Nelson’s vocal being matched by an effervescent dubby groove. An alternate Dangerous Dub gives the track a darker but equally melodic feel with an abrasive bassline central to the groove.

Meanwhile Stuttgart’s most famous son, Motor City Drum Ensemble steps up with two contrasting but equally excellent remixes. The ‘Other Thing Dub’ revisits the Raw Cuts sound that MCDE is famous for – Nelson’s vocal expertly chopped up over organic piano grooves and a chugging beat. The second vocal mix stays truer to the tough beats and metallic synths of Webster’s original, a real Chicago feel provided by the ebullient hats and dubby bass line.

Review: Tony Poland