Prescription US Vinilo y CD

Review: There's very little collaborative work by Chez Damier and Ron Trent, especially the cuts they made during the days of Prescription Records, that isn't timeless and top-drawer. You could certainly say that about the four tracks that make up 1994's now reissued Hip To Be Disillusioned Volume 1. The untitled opener is loopy, deep and hypnotic in their trademark early morning style, while the track that follows - a version of Primitive Arts LP cut 'Sometimes I Feel Like' - is a little warmer and more positive in tone but no less chunky and locked-in. The flipside opens with a rolling, early morning loop jam (think deep, chunky bass, delay-laden synth stabs and crunchy drums), while the closing cut is a wickedly stripped back version of previous single 'I Feel The Rhythm'.

Review: On the latest dip into the bulging vaults of their iconic deep house label Prescription, Ron Trent and Chez Damier take us back to 1998 and the standout single from Urban Sound Gallery, a collaboration between Trent and Anthony Nicholson. 'Life 4 Living' remains a genuine deep house classic: a warming, effortlessly soulful affair in which Monica Elam's expressive vocals seemingly drift across a backing track rich in Afro-house influenced beats, immersive and dreamy pads, fluid piano solos and a wonderfully tactile bassline. As it did back in the 1990s, the vocal version comes backed with a similarly impressive dub that boasts a bit more energy and feels tailor-made for early morning club plays.