- Useful for DJ emergencies.
- Here's a disclaimer: big vocal tracks do my nut in. Like a few others, I'm sure, I got fed up of hearing DJ sets with bits of First Choice's "Let No Man Put Asunder," which, thanks to megahits like Butch's "No Worries," remains one of dance music's most rinsed vocals. But sometimes a flogged-to-death sample finds a second, third or fourth wind, especially for an audience with fresh ears. The "Version" tracks from MoMA Ready's recent album, The NYC Dance Project, which all flipped "Let No Man Put Asunder," did this remarkably well. A Denham Audio single from this year aimed for a similar sweetspot, with shamelessly huge vox swept up by a high-intensity, dam-breaching instrumental.
On their latest release, a split EP with Violet, Denham Audio present two more tracks in that vein: "Overused Vocal Track 1" and "Overused Vocal Track 2." Is it unfair to pick apart tunes this self-effacing? Maybe I should just say that "1" fares better. As an ambient-ish breather in a breaksy DJ set, its airy pads and eternal Soul II Soul sample will do the job nicely. But it's worth unpacking why "1" works and "2" doesn't. It comes down to what else each track offers besides an overused vocal. In "2"'s case, Loleatta Holloway has too much to do in shoring up a decent but simple Pearson Sound-like shuffle of sub-bass and percussion. Once Holloway sings about "burning up" for the 40th time, she sounds close to exhaustion.
As two moody, hardcore- and jungle-adjacent stingers, "Second Nature" and "Above The Clouds" are solid counterweights. The EP's highlight, "Above The Clouds," finds Violet switching into LTJ Bukem mode with style—a smoky sax offsets hoover bass in a tight interplay of light and dark.
TracklistA1 Violet - Second Nature
A2 Violet - Above The Clouds
B1 Denham Audio - Overused Vocal Track 1
B2 Denham Audio - Overused Vocal Track 2