Images: Guy from the mall
The River Widens, originally a cassette-only release, is a 21-track beat tape bouncing between disco, house, boom-bap, ambient and beyond from Canada-based producer The Mole.
There’s a 2LP available as well as a second cassette run, over on Bandcamp. To celebrate this release on Circus Company, we asked The Mole to pull together a favourite five – he went for house. Read on…
The Mole’s Favourite 5: House
Drake did it. Beyonce did it. The cliche is larger than life with songs proclaiming ‘not everyone understands House music’.
And like so many cliches, I have to admit- it is true, House music is a feeling. I’m not ashamed to admit I love it. I love that feeling. I love House music. So here’s five of my favourites.
The It – Donnie
Rejection. Despair. Thundering drum machines. An almost wailing synth. This is House boiled down, raw and rough. Pure feeling. How can moaning be so driving? My favourite Larry Heard.
Jamie Principle – Bad Boy ( Unreleased mix)
‘Well you might call me a queer, and you might call me a freak. But when you’re looking for pleasure, it’s me you want to meet. I’m just a bad boy.’
Comforting and unsettling at the same time, some sentiments are timeless. Losing oneself in the pursuit of pleasure is surely something we can all relate to. There are some needs that can only be satisfied by traveling outside our comfort zones. Reminds me of Steve McQueen’s Shame, and the Rent Boys – Stalk the Night.
Romanthony – The Wanderer
Prescription 000. The great Prescription label. I’d like to pretend that I struggled to pick one of the many works of Romanthony, and I will admit I did pause at the cliche of choosing this bonafide and well known classic. Truth is, I don’t give a damn! This song still slams my brain as hard as the first time I heard it. This was my first Romanthony, it remains a high water mark. He changed my life and I’ll forever be thankful. RIP great one!
Strafe – Set it off
You may be saying to yourself, wtf, this ain’t HOUSE!
From a certain point of view you’d be right. 1984 is just too early.
Call it my wildcard, or consider this:
House, like Hip Hop, isn’t a box filled with product that must be made to order. There are plenty of examples of songs that have been claimed by the culture. Just as disco took Soul Makossa and Hip Hop took Apache, House (and Hip Hop, and everyone quite frankly) took Set It Off.
Mixed by the great Walter Gibbons, this classic is timeless.
Roy Davis Jr. ft. Peven Everett – Gabriel (Live Garage Version)
The youngest of my selection of five (1996), and possibly the most wedding worthy. It never fails to bring joy. Still feels as fresh as when it came out. Possibly the only garage I can stomach, proving that it is isn’t about genres, but feelings. I can’t kick this feeling when it hits!
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