BOO WILLIAMS Vinilo y CD

Review: The first part of a two-part release for Sushitech's sub label Pariter, with Chicago second generation house hero Boo Williams joining the likes of Delano Smith and Norm Talley on the roster for 'Night Fall', the partner 12" to the simultaneously released 'Day Rise'. It features three tracks, all of which fit the mold of early evening classics. 'Acid Matrix' has an early Detroit feel to its raw machine handclap snares and panther-like, stalking bassline, while 'Deep Tech' might be geographically closer to late 80s, early 90s Yorkshire, a compulsive funkiness emerging from its bleepcentric soundscape. 'Service Chamber' is sleeker and more mellow, telephone dial tones spiralling off into the ether while tinkling, xylophone-sounded keys play hypnotically. Choice, quality material that will help any DJ to subtly pick the pace up as the sun falls.

Review: Boo Williams is in good company appearing here on Sushitech's sub label Pariter where he joins the illustrious likes of Delano Smith and Norm Talley in its ranks. You wait for a Boo Williams record and then, of course, two come along, 'Day Rise' being accompanied by the simultaneously released 'Night Fall', each with their own corresponding vibe. 'Day Rise' is definitely more upbeat of the two but it's a subtle distinction - it's certainly not full of 4AM bangers designed to keep you awake until the busses start running again. 'Talley Up' is a very straight forward affair, circling around a two note synth riff and gradually building percussion. 'The Take Over' is similarly spritely, another builder with crashing cymbals, jazzy chords and drum machine tumbles steadily building an insurmountable wall of funkiness. Breezy, bumping closer 'Teleport' completes the set, meaning three ultra-handy, raw but sophisticated tunes that house and techno DJs alike will find slipping into their sets with a natural ease.

Review: House doesn't get much more Chicago than when made by Boo Williams. The big man has been turning out the jams for decades, always with an irresistible sense of low-end bite and top-end fun. This outing on the French label Phonogramme comes on clear wax and is another crucial 12". 'Melodic Groove' is just that, with rolling drums and soft melodies perfectly intertwining while 'Nite Vision' is a more broken beat and percussive affair with swirling pads up top. 'Artificial World 2023' (feat Jamiel Patton) gets your head amongst the stars with its bright, lush keys and skipping soulful drums and last of all is another heady and cosmic house roller in 'Song & Dance' (feat Jamiel Patton - Planet mix).

Review: Given that he has been operative on the Chicago house scene since its earliest days at the dawn of the 1980s, it's perhaps unsurprising that deep house legend Boo Williams' latest EP pays tribute to the city that he calls home. Jamiel Patton lends his spoken word vocals to opener 'Chicago The Place To Be', a hybrid deep house/Afro-house affair piled high with musical details (think short, tight acid lines, woozy electric piano lines, spacey synths and so on), and companion track 'Chicago The Place', an effects-laden, early morning alternate take that's effectively a dub mix of that track. Elsewhere, 'One Hour' is a sparkling, melodically impressive deep house workout with added bleeps, while 'The Same Again' is a locked-in-but-bouncy workout rich in fuzzy synth stabs, sweaty drum machine fills and held-note chords.