Review:
Like Marty Bonds or Mike Huckaby, Santiago Salazar is one of those Detroit producers who have yet to receive the acclaim that his work deserves. It's a pity because as Smile Now demonstrates, he brings a polished, classy feeling to techno music. The title track is a wonderfully deep affair, populated by playful piano keys and sensuous strings, but it can't compare to "The Battle Within". Taking the warbling acid of UR and combining it with the spaced out jazz of Galaxy 2 Galaxy, this is Detroit futurism at its most seductive, more so because it is being interpreted by one as sophisticated as Salazar. Indeed, it's a sign of his refined approach that even when he ups the tempo considerably on "Varrio Clarkdale", his musical approach still sounds cultured.