Me Hellraiser, or Roy as he’s known to his mam, first caught people’s attention in 2001 with his “Stroke of Genius” booty, a massive hit in the discos that most, despite all evidence pointing to the decidedly “cooler” New Yorkers, would have you believe was denied a proper release by evil super-diva Aguilera. Thus propelled into the spotlight, the last few years have seen Roy in a giddying whirl of touring (he;s currently doing the NME dates), knob-twiddling and becoming, erm, Paul McCartney’s remixer of choice, all the while working on his finally finished long player, a little taste of which we’ve got here
“Want You to Know” is a summery gospel tinged number based around a Rotary Connection sample, a welcome bit of warmth in the ice age we seem to be stuck in. Destined to be a Sunday morning radio staple, it marries the smooth vocal with percussion lifted straight from early 90s Madchester, a swaying laid-back groove that builds into a loving smile that will more than likely become too sweet for comfort after you’ve been woken by DJ Spoony “rinsing” it (or whatever it is these DJS do) one too many times. A toe tapper indeed, it’ll have your Mam’s Sunday paper swaying and your Dad nodding at his crossword, while you no doubt ruin it with the bit of kebab hanging off your cheek.
|
Freeform Five’s Anu Pillai joins in for “Pound for Pound”, an electro-pop-rock stomper that conjures up far too many images of polka dotted shoulder pads being shimmied across an illuminated dancefloor. It’s not a bad ‘un but is a bit too BodyRockers/Deep Dish for my taste, a good tune that probably would’ve been more welcome a couple of years back. Neverthekess, it works and you’ll find yourself dancing like a fitting robot with your best “not arsed” face on before you know it.
|
