Boo Williams At Juno Download

Review: Home Town Chicago came early on in windy-city veteran Boo Williams' career, and there's less of the overtly party-starting stunts that some of his contemporaries possessed, replaced by a dreamy, meditative mood that speaks more to the heart than the feet. While the music may be somewhat deep and meaningful, this is still a collection of club tracks and there's no denying the heavy funk that Boo brings. Whether it's the euphoric piano chimes of "Evil Ways" or the jerky grit of "Smokin' Acid", there's plenty of evidence of just how much punch Home Town Chicago packs, even today.

Review: Rush Hour's mission to dig through the archives of Chicago House music and re-issue forgotten classics continues apace here with the focus squarely on Boo Williams. The Dutch imprint concentrates on the productions Williams put out via Residual Records, the imprint run by Titonton Duvante, with the four best tracks from his three late 90s EPs handpicked and presented here. Rawness abounds throughout with vintage Chi town atmospherics submerged beneath solid kicks and ever so intricate synth melodies on "Mortal Trance". Hypnotic chords pervade the driving deepness of "Eternal Mind" with the expertly arranged long drum breaks a third of the way in proving an excellent way to break the trance. On the flip, the pulsating acid squelch of "Day & Night" provides the highlight of this release as tough kicks snap through deep stabs for a track that sounds just as relevant on today's floors. The scattergun drum patterns and melancholic synth action on the future retro sounding "Teckno Drome" make this another essential release from our friends in Amsterdam.