Yoshitoshi remains one of the premier dance labels in the US, and this
mixed compilation's focus is on some of the gems that the label has
released. Here, Dean Coleman is in the mix, giving us his first
commercially-released mix CD. This one is all about house music- deep,
soulful and spiritual.
Coleman first began DJing while at college at the University of North
Carolina in the mid-90's. Since then, he moved to Atlanta in the late
90s, where through his talents he attracted the attention of the Deep
Dish crew who got him onto the Yoshitoshi label. Presently, he travels
the globe spinning, working on his own music/remixes, and branching
into commercial music for TV- starring and writing the music for a
Pioneer television ad for their hot CD/DVD player.
Happily for us around these parts, he regularly stops in Atlanta to
spin a set. Aside from being a killer house mix CD, what sets this mix
apart from the rest is the span of time covered with the tracks.
Current tracks like Narcotic Thrust "When the Dawn Breaks" perfectly
blend with welcome house classics such as Eddie Amador "House Music"
and Alcatraz "Give Me Luv." There is a stylistic focus to the tracks
that gives the CD an awesome flow, and this focus is obviously more
important to Coleman than packing simply the latest tracks onto the CD
for the sake of trendiness. Thank-you, Dean Coleman!
The entire set is expertly mixed and the selection is simply about
great house music, making this CD one that entices many repeat
listens. Although the length of a single CD can't tell the story of
house in the past decade, Coleman does about the best that could
imaginably be done. The disc effortlessly captures the energy of his
skilled DJ sets. Under the radar standout tracks like Sumo "Yes We
Will," Sultan "Shivers" (the Armand van Helden sample from
Professional Widow is clever and wicked), and Joystick "Do U C Me?"
prove what great house music has been pumping out of hot clubs for the
past several years.
All of the tracks are vocal-oriented, and come direct from original
house music artists. Coleman also includes a couple of his own remixes
with Narcotic Thrust "I Like It" and Morel "If You Love Me" (this
track right here is worth the price of admission). The is one of the
best mix CDs I've ever heard: it sounds as good the first listen as it
does the tenth. Yoshitoshi and Dean Coleman go together like sake and
sushi. Doesn't get much better than this.
