With more and more producers glancing back at the origins of house and deep house for inspiration, it was only a matter of time before someone recruited a veteran of the first few waves to lend their cred– er, expertise. Systematic label impresario and habitual collaborator, Marc Romboy, is the first (I’m aware of) to do just that, tracking down Chicago stalwart Tyree Cooper to sprinkle his signature hip-house vocal musings (a style he helped pioneer) over an acid-house referencing cut. Mazi (another Chicagoan) and frequent partner Duriez run the tune through the wash on their reverb heavy remix.
On “Lost,” Mr. Cooper’s unconventional and meandering flow hovers above Romboy’s sparse beats and warns listeners of what will soon hit their ears. A rumbling, syncopated 303 bass line purrs and growls through kicks and claps, flattening all in its path like a tank. Upping the paranoia factor, Tyree divulges, “I’m lost inside my mind,” reverb-laden torrents of gently acidic tone arcing over and under his words. Though the tune’s unending drive is compelling, I wish Romboy would’ve pushed harder to give “Lost” more teeth for a deeper bite. He loosens the leash on the flipside dub mix, menacing listeners with a snarling bass line that emulates Romboy co-conspirator Stephan Bodzin’s trademark sound, as well as highly segmented vocals. Mazi & Duriez interpret the futuro-retro stylings with the acid-washed appeal of dub techno; but their unusual concoction of occasional acid pings, heavy-lidded pads and Cooper’s awkwardly-placed vocals seem too piecemeal and internally contrasting to keep my interest.
Tracks with appearances from revered musical figures tend to be held to higher standards; as such, the stubbornly driven “Lost” suffers for leaning so heavily on a legend’s vocals rather than thorough production. What’s in a name, indeed.
