The Revenge At Juno Download

Review: We are used to hearing a plethora of monikers for one artist in today's climate of edit and collaboration-friendly production where one can slip in and out of styles and genres accordingly. Burnt Island Casuals is yet another one for two producers who already operate under a number such aliases individually. Graeme Clark, best known under his The Revenge pseudonym (but also as 6th Borough Project, Deportivo Street Team, OOFT Music, The Hong Kong Micros, Grizzle and Cronk Family Enterprises) teams up with Harri, who himself works under a host of different names, to deliver two dazzling tracks of contemporary disco meets house for Under The Shade.

The pair have worked together since 2004, most recently when Clark mastered Harri's 20 Years Underground compilation for Glasgow's Sub Club, for whom he is a long standing resident. This release, however, marks their most accomplished work yet. "Scotch Hop" is a typically grooving, slo-mo disco builder. A real chugger of a track, the duo merge disco, house, early 80s boogie and hip hop into just under eight minutes of groove fuelled, dancing joy. Forged using a sample from Larry Levan's mix of Gwen Guthrie's "Hop Scotch," the pair set off on a gradual build up that leads on to a wonderfully uplifting ending. "Truth & Temptation" on the flip, is a more upbeat offering, running at 118bpm. Again using another killer sample, this time from The Temptations "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)" Clark and Harri load the uplifting track with bags of soul and fix it to a driving disco-house rhythm to create a real dancefloor bomb. Infused with an early seventies psychedelic soul craze, much like The Revenge's "Planets" on Jisco Music, this brings classic disco vibes to modern club music. A fruitful return from a pair who seemingly never leave the studio, "Scotch Hop" looks set to fuse BBQs, outdoor terraces and poolsides not to mention various festivals and clubs all summer long. If it was up to us, we would never let them out - but where's the fun in that?

Review: After a great year for Scottish producer Graeme Clark, and his cracking cover of the SOS Band's Just Be Good To Me, comes this new release on Japanese label Mule Musiq. The title track's a must have for any disco or Balearic heads out there, and comes with vocals courtesy of Paul Joseph. The flip side "Innaspace" is just as hot, and features some nice and funky Moog action. Definitely a good start to the year for The Revenge.

Review: Graeme Clark is best known for his edits - his reworks of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye (in The Revenge and 6th Borough Project mode respectively) linger long in the memory - and here he serves up the second round of tweaks that featured on his recent Reekin'structions long player for the Z imprint. Those seeking the trademark deft house touch will delight in Clark's slow build take on of Velvet Hammer's "Party Down" whilst there is added incentive in the shape of a previously unreleased dub version of the same track which is just as good, if not even better! Up next, the Glaswegian showcases his cutting skills with a bumping refix of Sargeant & Malone's "Love Message" and a take on The Joneses "Summer Groove" that works its way from the depths of the machine into a frenzy of drums and funked out guitar riffs with expertise.

Review: Having first appeared on CD earlier in the year, Graeme Clark's first official album of Revenge reworks comes to digital download. If you missed out first time around, it's well worth a listen - not least because there are some killer re-edits and reconstructions present. Interestingly, Reekin'structions by The Revenge partly shies away from Clark's celebrated tracky and hypnotic house sound. While his deft house touch is still present - see the delightful slow-build version of Velvet Hammer's "Party Down", or the low-slung retro-house remix of "Smurf Trek" by original electro-funkers Chapter 3 - some of the best cuts here are little more than traditional re-edits, with Clark offering killer new arrangements of little-known disco, soul and boogie originals.