Artist: DJ Alfredo & Jamie
Album: Ibiza Spotlight & DJ Alfredo Present the Heritage Project
Label: Ministry of Sound
Release Date: 30/07/2012
itunes.apple.com/ibiza-spotlight-dj-alfredo
After all, it would take a rather distracted reader not to notice there's quite possibly a connection here. Yet approach it we must, and for good reason.
Prejudice to one side the purpose of our albums of the week is to highlight what's been on the stereo most over the last seven days: the standout releases that refuse to go away. And, given we're currently knee deep in a hugely enjoyable summer 2012- a season of partying, warm weather and positive feelings (Eurozone crisis to one side)- it's no surprise this unarguably authentic meld of tracks has made the grade.
It's raw, and certainly very real in the way that only a chap who first inspired the likes of Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling, along with his learned son, could achieve. We run through various parts of the dance spectrum, whilst the overall tempo never drops, and in a way that doesn't sit idly in the eclectic (non committal) camp, instead offering a taste of what first aroused interest in the potential for mixed, largely electronic beats. Informed by other genres, the result is unique.
So Kraak & Smaak's disco house cut Hold Back Love sidles up to the tribal party workout that is CongoFM from John Julius Knight, something of a heads down antidote to the vocal precursor, looped percussion and warm synths abound. Similarly, Harry Romero's typically chugging, solid dancefloor aimed track, Tania, partners with Breakthrough's neo-funk, for which we have The Backwoods to thank. It's coherent but never dull, accessible yet surprising, and perhaps most importantly of all, uninterested in fads and trends, delivering a mix that's timeless in the real sense of the word. The true spirit of Ibiza? Maybe. Either way it's really very good, even if we do say so ourselves.
