Armando presents Robert Armani - Armani Trax

Armando presents Robert Armani, "Circus Bells (Armando's mix)" (YSI link)

Armando presents Robert Armani, "Circus Bells (full length original mix)" (YSI link)

Okay, I lied about getting back into the swing of things. Seriously though, I'm getting back into the swing of things, starting....NOW! It's been a minute since we dropped any house music here, time to remedy that grave error. What better way to remedy it than with a stone cold Chicago acid house classic, Robert Armani's "Circus Bells"?

This one's the B side of the Armani Trax EP, a classic Dance Mania record, released in 1990. Longtime readers know that that label has guided so much of my listening, taking me from acid to ghetto in the span of an insanely productive decade. "Circus Bells" is one of the label's most famous and from the first peals of the bell on Armando's mix, you know you are in for something serious. It's like a call to arms or something for the dancefloor. After the last bell sound fades away, you get a devastating, 10 minute long acid tinged monster. Deep bass drums, hi-hats and clapping snares lay the foundation for a siren-like synth melody that worms its way into your head and will make you freak out. The original full-length mix is a few minutes shorter and lacks the bells-opening. You win with either one.

DJ Milton - Scream

DJ Milton, "Scream" (YSI link)

DJ Milton, "House Clap" (YSI link)

DJ Milton, "Saturn" (YSI link)

I kinda like this first week of resumed posts being a overall look at what we do here and the music you can expect, i.e. Pound for Pound music. Long-time readers will know that there might be no important stuff than the Dance Mania label for me here. Dance Mania is one of the labels that helped shape house music since the mid 1980s, started right in the genre's birthplace, Chicago, Illinois by Jesse Saunders. It is responsible for lots of seminal tracks, including Housemaster Boyz and the Rude Boyz of House's "House Nation" and Lil Louis' "Video Clash."

These tracks are not on that level, but they are nice examples of that mid90s DM sound. Here's some standard DM stuff from the mid-90s, as the acid washed away and the ghetto sound emerged. DJ Milton fits the anonymous dance music producer profile to a tee, releasing more than 25 records in a 4 year period and then disappearing (as far as I am aware). Most of them were on Dance Mania, this Scream EP was the first, in 1994. It's what you expect: raw, dirty and jacked." These three tracks are the A-side, the lesser of the two imo. "Scream" is furious as fuck, a raging drum machine track complete with porno screams that give it that nastiness one associates with ghettohouse. The other two are strictly instrumentals, drums galore that might work great with an acapella over them. Just sayin'. Check "House Clap" for a nice acid moment around the 2 minute mark.

Yeah! Dance Mania! House music! Yeah!

Traxmen & DJ Lil' Tal - Flava In Ya Ear

Traxmen & DJ Lil' Tal, "Trax 4 Da Women" (YSI link)

Traxmen & DJ Lil' Tal, "Don't Bite It" (YSI link)

I wasn't sure if this was the right choice to start the week. On the one hand, I can't think of a better way to kick off the weekdays than with a Dance Mania ghetto house classic. On the other hand, I don't want you to peak on Monday afternoon, unable to regain the euphoria and joy that you will soon feel when you download the above tracks. I decided to go with this Traxmen/DJ Lil' Tal post with the acknowledgment that I will need to step my game and provide a few more peaks this week.

These two tracks come from the Traxmen & DJ Lil' Tal Flava In Ya Ear EP, Dance Mania 083 for those who care about those things. It's another essential release from the Chicago label, a good example of the early 90s sound that they developed, which moved away from the earlier acid stuff. One listen to "Trax 4 Da Women" and your life is better. It's that simple. This is minimal house at its finest, a 909, vocals and attitude are more than enough to make me (and hopefully you) lose my shit. Traxmen and DJ Lil' Tal employ a sort of verse and chorus thing, where a few words find themselves being repeated at the end of a verse, like ride, shake and whip. Wait for the 2+ minute mark when the kick comes in, oh boy, so massive and orgasmic I don't want else to say. "Don't Bite It" is much busier, with more percussion, some keys and two different sampled vocals coming in to up the ante. I feel like this one would work better in the club setting, a little less experimental and more in line with the booty music we all know and love.

I'm going to be in transit today, heading back to Philadelphia to hang out with MR. That means no party post tonight, but lots more coming tomorrow before I head back home.