Various Artists – SubSoul Volume 2

Label: SubsoulScore: 8/10

That SubSoul should be on their second in what is looking like an annual series of compilations in such a short space of time speaks volumes for their abilities as historians and curators, qualities that have been bringing the brand much attention since they first started making waves three years ago. They began as a taste making YouTube channel “way” back in 2011, well placed to document the seismic changes in the ever evolving UK underground music scene at the time, and many of the early sounds from acts such as Disclosure, George Fitzgerald and Dusky plus a host of others were first featured on the channel as they found their subscribers doubling with every release. Soon the platform was able to cut out a niche in upfront deep house, garage and bass music, racking up views which would eventually reach the millions as a result of becoming a leading light and go to platform in UK centric dance music. 

That many of artists to originally feature on their playlists have gone on to achieve major success in the UK singles chart is no secret, SubSouls rise in profile has coincided with this bridging of worlds between the underground and mainstream and as a result they have a great working relationship with many emerging artists. Graduating from throwing parties with star-studded line ups to releasing CDs packed with star-studded line ups was a move many would’ve seen as logical what with their track record so far, and their first release did little to change the sentiment. Their first instalment was packed with 21 tracks including three top ten hits and this time round SubSoul have almost doubled both numbers, with a generous 36 tracks spread over two discs that feature the sounds of new household names like Duke Dumont, Sam Smith, Gorgon City with more established guys such as MK, Hot Natured and Shadow Child. 

The first disc starts off strongly with the Toni Braxton sampling, and increasingly inescapable ‘I Wanna Feel’ by Second City, rich delicate keys and a catchy vocal give this track a naturally uplifting vibe that mixes well with the feelgood meets bruckwild sounds of Disclosure & Friend Within collaboration ‘The Mekanism’. Endless warps and skittering drums are used to great effect by the two seasoned production teams in creating a jump up vibe that easily bleeds into the syrupy garage flavours emanating from Breach’s smash hit ‘Everything We Never Had’. Just as this track veers into hands in the air territory we get the serious (in comparison) sounding Shadow Child remix of ‘Shake That’. The subby bassline and get down G-house type vocals serve as the perfect bridge for the first track to truly bang on the compilation, Friend Within’s ‘Renegade; a track whose ravey sirens and thick electro drums have been serving as a kind of public service announcement on dance floors that the party is now in session, and it represents one of the harder moment thus far.

The peak time pace continues with the liberally sampling ‘Bassline’, a just barely re-work of Adonis classic ‘No Way Out’ by GotSome. The track has much of the bassline from the acid house anthem but little of the character, never the less it serves as a reminder of the current love-in with house that has swept the country, in where a song that was immensely popular the last time such feelings were present has been updated for the younger generation. Next up is the ultra-cool ‘Okay’ by one of CUFFs many bright stars Shiba San. The tracks arpeggio bassline, both bouncy wooden (read: timbre not rhythm) takes centre stage, but some understated percussion help the track roll along with a nonchalance that belies its jump-up nature. Route 94 appears with a colder sound you might not expect from a chart topping producer accustom to 90s NY House flavours. A sinister accordion reminiscent of ‘Hungry for the Power’ gives the young producers ‘Fly 4 Life’ a paranoid, urban feel which does little to abate with the ominous droning present throughout, but a quirky piano section reminds of his propensity for catchy melodies and blends well with Dusky’s ‘Careless’, turning all the shadowed menace of the former into smiles and sunglasses. Despite being well over a year old and thoroughly rinsed, its inclusion is a pleasant one and brings back the summery vibes the mix hinted at from the start. 

Shades of R&B and UKG join the proceedings in the form of Breach’s remix of Kelis’s breezy uptempo ‘Rumble’, the influence from the aforementioned numbers is not enough to hide this tracks pure pop sensibilities but they work well together as does much of the pop in a house format that features here. As the chorus spirals out of control, the opening bittersweet murmurings of MKs Lancelot remix ‘Givin It Up’ are mixed in to provide a stand out moment on the first disc. The melancholic vocal is joined by a piano which never quite chooses between classical and modular as it attempts to match the high stakes set by a powerful vocal replete with indistinct harmonies and sung refrains. It’s a dramatic re-working by the man who did much to bring house back to the charts with his ‘Look Right Thru’ smash. The song is allowed to make its full impact felt before giving way to the bright laser synths of Lxury on ‘J.A.W.S’  around the midway point. Following the peaktime line and particularly high cinema quality of the track preceeding it, ‘J.A.W.S.’ eases the mix into its poppier segment with its fun zapping synths and happy sounding hook. 

It’s a zone that is very much inhabited for the next couple of tracks as the pace starts to come down. The slow burning radio friendly ‘Over’ by TCTS ticks over in pleasant enough fashion, allowing us to cool off back to back with the tech house tinged ‘Survive’ by Kidnap Kid. The vibe takes an almost sinister turn on ‘You’re So High’ but the vocals shift from understated to overbearing as a cheesy repeated hook doesn’t deliver on the sleaze its subby bass and echoed stabs hinted at in the beginning. Those same techniques are used to more potent effect by Codec on the remix of Jett’s ‘Strong Look’. It’s a hi-tech roller that injects energy into a mix that was threatening to run dry. Bontan’s ‘Looking Out’ keeps things bumping along and Disclosure and Gorgon City both who get in on the act with before the CD comes to an end, with the instantly familiar voice of Sam Smith on the ubiquitous summer smash ‘Money on My Mind’, as remixed by who else, MK. 

The original by Sam Smith is probably as close as we’ll get to pop perfection this year and as a result MK doesn’t have much to do on this one apart from slap one of his trademark basslines on it, add a “jazzy” piano section and touch base with his accountant. Here in the UK we’re in the middle of a love-in with house which hasn’t been seen since the early nineties, and remixes like the aforementioned one which can be played alongside the originals on the radio and are probably becoming a requirement in certain music industry circles go a long way to showing why this is. From Tesco clothing arm F&F using San Sodas ‘It’s You’ refix in their commercials to footage of the younger members of our national football team shuffling poolside during their “preparation” for the World Cup, the infectious spirit of 4/4 has once again gripped the nation. The resurgence at hand owes much to the perfect storm of local festivals, a healthy underground scene, an even healthier under-underground scene, and that singular purist hate; chart success. 

No doubt some will be both thrilled and frightened in equal measure by this happening but none the less it does provides us with arguably a better standard of music on radio in comparison to years gone by. Having said that, SubSouls credentials need little defence at this point; their ability to keep a finger on the pulse of the underground and predict or pre-empt trends in the mainstream is remarkable, and the success they’ve enjoyed is testament to these talents. 

While the second disc on this offering might do little to appease these critics, it will like the first prove a trusty companion to house parties, barbeques and anywhere else people want to enjoy good music. Artists like New York Transit Authority, Woz and Foamo (the lesser known alias of one half of Gorgon City) sit alongside the likes of No Artificial Colours, KINK, Huxley and Cause & Effect on the distinctly housier disc. Like the first half on this compilation it is not going to win the stakes in undiscovered killers, but while the first is a comprehensive roundup of the last 12 months in house music’s invasion of radioland, the second disc tells the story of houses enjoyed dominance in clubland for the past year or so. For the young generation just getting hooked on “the new sound of Deep House”, compilations like this will provide a great starting point for finding the more educational and traditionally deep strains as SubSoul do a great job representing most shades of the current house wave in the UK over the course of 2 and a half delightful hours. 

Words: Christopher Grees