Search - Todd Terry, Little Louie Vega, Kenny Dope :: Todd Louie & Kenny

Three Kings

Jolar70 | Queens, NY | 04/12/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The songs you first hear when you discover a new type of music will always be magical. You might hear better ones down the line but those first few represent the style in an almost subconscious way that sticks with you. This collection is just that for me and, perhaps, you too if you danced in the house clubs of the early 90's. Todd Terry, Little Louis Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez are three founding fathers who, along with a few others like Lil' Louis, Pal Joey and Kerri Chandler were able to mix the growing, harder techno styles with the smoother soul of deeper house legends like Frankie Knuckles and Tony Humphries. The result is an ineffably underground mixture somewhere between Detroit and New Jersey house but DEFINITELY all New York! These are bass heavy, up front tracks that make you want to dance but also play off an elegant and spooky minimalism that got lost by the time the rave revolution came along. Finally, just a few disclaimers... This is NOT a mix CD. All the tracks play out at full length, with their intro and outro beats intact. Also, this is probably "Strictly Rhythm's" most underground compilation; except for the first song, all the rest are sample tracks and dubs so no hit songs here! Finally, all these tracks are over ten years old; some of it's a little dated but mostly because it was copied to death! This is the best commercial release I've found so far to represent this little, underground period between acid house and rave, when club music was for clubs and NOT retail outlets! Enjoy."