MIKE HUCKABY Vinilo y CD

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


First released way back in 1997, The Jazz Republic was one of the late, great Mike Huckaby's earliest EPs a sublime collection of hazy and warming Detroit deep house and techno jams tailor made for losing yourself in at four in the morning. Original vinyl copies have long been hard to come by on the second-hand market, so this 25th anniversary edition will be an essential purchase for many DJs. On the A-side, sumptuous, early morning deep house wonder 'The Jazz Republic' comes paired with the mind-altering, stargazing techno hypnotism of 'Jazz Delirium', while on the flip, the piano-smothered bumpin' loveliness of 'Groove Box' is followed by the driving, disco-sampling deep house loop jam 'The Stranger'. An impeccable classic!

Review: The Sushitech festivities continue unabated with this bittersweet repress of an all-time classic from the much-missed Detroit figurehead Mike Huckaby. 'Baseline '87' ranks amongst his most fabled works, riding as it does around an irresistibly catchy square wave bass hook and one of those no-nonsense beats that the legendary producer did so well. For the sound of Huckaby in full flight though, 'Musik For The Dancefloor' on the flip soars thanks to the interplay between the pads and chords while retaining that steadfast focus. In memory of a true dance music hero, why not revisit a classic that should be comfortably sat in every record bag?

Review: Way back in 2007, Mike Huckaby released an EP that joined the dots between Detroit deep house and dub techno all made exclusively on his Waldorf Wave synthesizer. Some nine years on, he's finally got around to releasing a follow-up. My Life With The Wave Volume 2 eschews the dub techno influences of old, instead focusing on the fluid, rich, soul-flecked Motor City deep house he does so well. He begins with the looped, minor key melodies and strutting grooves of "Let The Dancer Do His Thing", before increasing the rhythmic intensity via the cymbal-heavy waviness of "Phuture". Flip for the sun-kissed breeziness of "Baseline 313" - all repetitive electric piano motifs, handclap-heavy percussion and tribal vocal samples - and the fluttering, picturesque deepness of "Another Fantasy". All four tracks are good, but then when does Huckaby ever let us down?

Review: If there's one guy from Detroit who has never lost his principles or ideas, it's certainly Mike Huckaby, the likeable producer who has always been open about his work, and who has always helped the younger generation of talent come through. He's back on his own sublime Synth imprint, and "Wavetable No.9" sees the man go deeper and spacier than his other recent productions, and the same can be said for the tranquil sea of jazzy melodies that envelop "Fantasy". "Jupiter", most probably named after the iconic synth, is what martians would be making if they'd been listening to Art Blakey and Charles Mingus - three solid house tunes with a distinctive Huckaby edge.