Jacques Renault and Marcos Cabral’s On The Prowl imprint have just announced their next two releases, which see German disco-house overlord Tensnake and his underrated compatriot DJ Kaos employed on remix duties.
Our friends at On The Prowl aka Jacques and Marcus Runaway recently joined the long list of labels to work alongside US automotive firm Scion AV, opting to release some more freestyle throwbacks from Corinne.
It was perhaps inevitable that freestyle, perhaps one of the most overlooked of 1980s electronic music styles, would one day begin to get revisited. Hugely popular within New York – particularly with the city’s Hispanic communities – throughout the 1980s, the genre spawned some enormous records, most notably Shannon’s “Let The Music Play” (though many freestyle enthusiasts would cite her “Give Me Tonight” as a truer exponent of the core freestyle sound). Dig through the back catalogues of such noted New York record labels as Vanguard and Tommy Boy, and you’ll find plenty of freestyle tunes. In retrospect, any sound cheap, nasty and overly cheesy, but others still sound heavy, fresh and unbelievable futuristic.
This new release from Runaway’s On The Prowl imprint is about as freestyle as you can get. While actually a brand new track by little-known Brooklyn producer Josh Anzano, it sounds authentically vintage. All the hallmarks of true freestyle are here: stuttering, syncopated rhythms, a ludicrously heavy 808 bassline (here tweaked to oblivion to give the impression of 303 jiggery-pokery), ear-piercing electro melodies and a female vocal extolling the virtues of getting out and partying. It’s more like Alisha’s “Baby Talk” (a Shep Pettibone mixed freestyle club hit from 1985) than “Let The Music Play”, but that’s no bad thing. There’s even a choppy, Latin Rascals style flipside Dub. Honestly, it’s brilliantly produced and ticks all the right boxes – unless you knew, you’d think it was a re-release. Anzano should be applauded.
Remix wise, label bosses Runaway provide two servicable house versions (vocal and instrumental) that cleverly weave the original 80s-sounding synth melodies and vocal between retro-futurist 4/4 beats and menacing Twilo riffs. As good as they are, it’s the original and Dub versions that make the biggest impression. Seriously hot. Matt Anniss
You have to take your hat off to Runaway – they’ve certainly been keeping themselves busy. Following hot on the heels of last month’s organ-riffic Broken Man 12” – a heavyweight chunk of NYC house that wouldn’t have sounded out of place booming out of the Sound Factory speakers during Junior Vasquez’s pomp – comes this impressive remix package. The original version of “The Fire Below” first emerged in December last year, backed by a Cosmo Vitelli remix of another Runaway track, “The Poltergeist”. While Vitelli’s remix got some props, it was “The Fire Below” that tickled most DJs’ fancy. Something of a slow burner, it fused the duo’s now famous tribal-influenced deep house beats with soft-centred piano chords, drawn-out builds and some delicious, starry-eyed synths.
This time round, they’ve asked current men-of-the-moment Azari & III and The Revenge – arguably the hardest working man in Scotland – to take care of the remixes. The former provide a trippy, late night version built around the original’s spiraling synth melodies and gratuitous use of FX. The beats are a touch more crisp than Runaway’s, but the effect is at times beguiling – hypnotic and understated in equal measure.
The Revenge, on the other hand, does his best to draw out the original’s retro-futurist leanings. His version is typically playable, fixing ultra-tweaked vocal hooks onto rock-solid beats and the sort of menacing bassline that wouldn’t have been out of place on a Belgian rave track circa 1992. Into the mix are thrown snippets of the original riff, echo-laden klaxon horns and all manner of subtle piano keys. It’s the winner here by some distance. As way of a bonus, digital buyers can get their hands on The Revenge’s ‘Bassline Dub’. Arguably even better than his exemplary remix, it strips the track down to little more than a booming old skool bassline, hurried percussion and the odd reverb-laden klaxon. As DJ tools go, it’s pretty darn handy. Matt Anniss
For a duo with close links to DFA, there’s always been something reassuringly straightforward about Runaway’s music. Since their debut EP of typically off-kilter edits on friend Roy Dank’s Wurst imprint, they’ve got progressively more and more housey. For those who’ve heard Jacques Renault – the most high profile of the duo – DJ, this will come as little surprise; they seem more influenced by classic New York and New Jersey house than anything else.
Their biggest dancefloor hit, “Brooklyn Club Jam”, is a prime example of this. Blending FX-laden piano riffs with a menacing, big room backing, it sounded like Sound Factory era Vasquez or Twilo-pomp Tenaglia with a Rekids twist. “Broken Man” is similarly reverential, sounding not unlike the sort of organ-heavy house that used to emerge from the Big Apple on a weekly basis back in the 1990s – albeit with drums that sound more Salsoul than Strictly Rhythm.
Like the best US house records of old, it’s hooky and nagging in equal measure, building the action around a spiraling organ riff and a flickering, repetitive vocal sample (“broken man”). Even better, perhaps, is the accompanying ‘live’ version, which adds a killer acid B-line, some spooky loops and the sort of stripped-down beats that evoke thoughts of dark New York cellar clubs and freakish afterhours parties. It just feels more raw – something which gives the track a much more intense, late night vibe.
The package is rounded off by a solid remix by NYC nu disco don Brennan Green. He gives “Broken Man” a quick rub with his disco polish, adding some crunchy noises amongst the original’s twin riffs.
Review: Matt Anniss
Artist: Jacques Renault
Title: OTP Party Breaks 2
Label: On The Prowl Party Breaks
Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco
Format: 12″
Buy From: Juno Records
The debut release on the Party Breaks offshoot of the always classy On The Prowl label set the tone with epic reimaginations of music from the New York City of days gone by for contemporary dancefloors. Marcus Cabral’s shuffling 12 minute dubbed out rerub of New Edition’s “Lifetime Groove” was given instant must-have status amongst us disco nerds after featuring on a Aeroplane mix and has been hailed as a modern day balearic masterpiece by Riotous Rockers.
It’s safe to say that volume II, compiled by Cabral’s partner in running away, Jacques Renault, will further solidify OTP Party Breaks’ potential as one of 2010s best imprints. Doubling the sucker punch with four edits that dip into different genres and play out like textbook examples of how to slay a dancefloor (you’d expect nothing less from someone who has released music on Rekids, DFA, I’m a Cliche, RVNG, Wurst, Chinatown and Mule).
Setting the uptempo mood is “In The Middle of The Night”, a subtley nuanced edit of a slice of classic late 70s disco from Jet Brown that adds some neat percussive chops to what is already a lovely warm melody. Fans of Tensnake’s recent “Coma Cat” will be all over “Love & Happiness”, a dirty basement jam that reworks a mid nineties collaboration between Louie Vega and long term muse India to perfection. Renault’s production nous is on evidence with “Miranda” which begins with some very Switch-esque production before dropping into a massive jack of a tribal house groove with several little changeups to keep the dancefloor on its toes. The EP ends with “My Baby Loves Me” which amps up the 80s sax house to the max. More must have material from the record vaults of Jacques Renault.
Review: Tony Poland
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Artist: Marcos Cabral & Shux
Title: OTP Party Breaks Volume 1
Label: On The Prowl Party Breaks
Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
On The Prowl launch their new sub label with help from Marcos Cabral, the legendary New York house producer and label boss (alongside partner in crime Jacques Renault) . OTP Party Breaks Volume 1, which also features a collaboration between Cabral and Shux, drops two tracks of the warm, disco flavoured, deep house that is going down a treat over in the Big Apple these days.
This first release is poised to set the tone of the whole imprint, who are expected to put out distinctly NY flavoured records from the city’s favourite artists and producers. Marcos Cabral from Runaway certainly fits the bill, having also released on the likes of DFA, I’m A Cliche, Muke and Rekids, he is a true legend on the city’s house scene. He collaborates with Chinatown Records partner Brennan Green on the EP’s opening track, “Lifetime Groove,” an epic twelve minute journey through laid back and groovy disco house. It has a classic feel right from the start with a retro bassline but with Balearic overtones and a dubby, feel good sentiment.
On the flip, Cabral lays his hand to Lil Louis’ classic garage house track “Club Lonely.” It is a simple rework, using straight forward loops and samples. The chord stabs keep the club vibes strong as repetitive saxophone flurries continue to build the tension. Bringing the 90s anthem up to date, Cabral gets a mainstay of Runaway’s DJ sets on record at long last.
Review: Tom Jones
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