03 February 2012

Defected In The House Miami ‘12

2012 is the year Defected embark on A House Music Odyssey, kicking off with their musical tribute to the Miami Winter Music Conference. Every year, thousands of DJs and music-lovers make the annual pilgrimage to Miami, as for one week of the year the city is transformed into a dance music Mecca. And while the sound of some parties and festivals choose to go bigger and louder each year in an effort to make themselves heard, Defected prefer to go back to where it all started, with a fresh approach to the core values of ‘real’ house music around which the conference was originally built.

Representing the first major musical event of the year, the Miami WMC is a hedonist’s paradise; a place where house music is king, with all-day pool parties and all-night clubs the order of the day. This is the uninhibited backdrop to ‘Defected In The House Miami ’12’, as three of the scene’s hottest talents deliver their own very different but equally ambitious mixes, presenting the prevalent sound of Miami.

CD1 is helmed Noir, a producer, DJ and label owner responsible for some of 2011’s most enduring house records. This was the year that the deep, evocative, groove-led sounds championed by labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Get Physical and No.19 Music really came to the fore – especially in Miami and Ibiza – and Noir has cherry-picked the very finest examples of the genre with which to craft his mix. Maceo Plex, Clockwork, Subb-An and Life & Death are names synonymous with quality, and all feature on this slickly programmed and emotional musical soundscape.

Treasure Fingers first came to the attention of the house faithful with his debut record ‘Cross The Dancefloor’; an inescapably catchy, vocoder-laced gem that two-stepped over genre boundaries and garnered support from A-List DJs around the world such as Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Sinden and Kissy Sell Out. CD2 sees him merge his diverse influences and musical background into a mix packed with intricate basslines, chopped-up, gritty synth melodies and party-ready drum breaks. From the classic NYC sounds of MK’s remix of Storm Queen’s ‘Look Right Through’ and ARGY’s mix of Osunlade’s ‘Envision’, right through to the broken two-step of his own ‘Rooftop Revival’, Treasure Fingers crafts an eclectic and ambitious mix that is nothing short of outstanding.

Rounding up the package is Franky Rizardo, perhaps the most exciting young newcomer to the world of house music production and performance to come out of Holland in the last few years. Tirelessly creative and with a string of acclaimed singles and remixes already under his belt, his mix blends trademark heavy percussive flourishes (Two Bears’ ‘Work (Franky Rizardo Mix)’) with timeless, energetic house (Huxley’s ‘Take No More’; Vaggio’s ‘Don’t You Want Some More’), creating a mix that is engaging and highly intelligent from its first beat to its last.

The Defected In The House mix series is one of the most respected in the house scene, with previous editions featuring artists ranging from Masters At Work and Joey Negro to Gilles Peterson and Tensnake. ‘Defected In The House Miami ’12’ adds further weight to the series, showcasing three artists who authoritatively represent the consummate breadth of house music in 2012. Out 27^th February.