Launched with lots of post acid house inspired enthusiasm and no money in a Blackfriars shoe cupboard in 1991 by (the soon to depart) Phil Howells and 'Red' Jerry Dickens, Hooj Choons enjoyed over a decade near the top of the European dance tree, with over 130 single releases, 20+ albums, 4 sub labels and a club night ('Elements') under it’s belt before 'long break' in 2003.
As house music flourished in the 90's, Hooj grew with it, switching focus from genre to genre without ever getting too caught up with one style for too long. From the latin flavoured Balearica of the first release, Rio Rhythm Bands Carnival da Casa' , to the London hardcore sound of Simon Seds 'Wigged' / Tomoaki – Past, Present, Future, to the synthier/more Euro side of the initial wave of progressive house with Felix, Andronicus and Restless Rockers, the 'trance' years with Café Del Mar, Nalin + Kane, Greece 2000 and Lost Tribe, progressive mk 2 with Killahurtz, Medway, Jark Prongo, LSG, tribal house with Tenaglia's Datar, Halo Varga and Trancesetters, deep techy tackle with Circulation, Mooger Fooger and Echomen, and at the end, hints of the electro/ disco storms to come with the likes of Psycho Radio and Chicken Lips
With 'the long nineties' slow train still showing no sign of departing the cultural platform, and so much current electronic music spinning around related axis, it's no big surprise to see occasional providers Hooj Choons, make one of their infrequent returns to the fray, a little bloodied, but still essentially unbowed.
We Are I.E. (original extended edit - 2022 remaster) - (4:58) 136 BPM
We Are I.E. (Solo & Blades Yellow Cali mix) - (4:51) 136 BPM
We Are I.E. (Borai's Brizzle Bassline mix) - (5:02) 135 BPM
We Are I.E. (Filter Dread remix) - (5:04) 131 BPM
Review: With the re-arrival of breaks and hardcore onto a much more popular landscape, we are thrilled to see just how many labels and artists are unleashing drops, especially over the last few weeks. This collection from Lennie De Ice is a solid dive into where the sound currently is, opening up with the bulbous bass bounces and chiming melodic drifts of 'We Are I.E', the extended edit which lands with some serious impact. The rest of the project comes to us in the form of remixes, with Solo & Blades stepping up first for their super tidy 'Yellow Cali' mix, redesign the breaks into a much more processed design, before Borai's Brizzle Bassline mix sends the original into 4x4 realm, juiced with garage flavour. Finally, Filter Dread unleashes his aquatic overhaul, rounding off the project with another tidy design.
