Armand Van Helden is a man of the times, some might say a renaissance man. His last effort in mix taping was a fun collection of his most cheesy club bangers like "Say My Name" and "My, My, My" and loads of 80´s pop like Yazoo´s "Don´t Go". In other words a perfect party mix. The second installment in the "New York Mix Odyssey" goes in a different direction, this time he has 80´s hip-house in his focus. Again it´s rocking the party that is his main concern, but he does so in sort of a novelty way. I have the feeling that the rise of bloghouse and in turn the acceptance of older cheesier dance music has given him credence to dabble in his guiltier pleasures. Because let´s face it, Mr. Van Helden hasn´t been a man that has always gone his own way, he has been formed by musical trends and followed them as only he can. He has also been around a while (he´s around 40 now) and he has now been granted a return to his roots, which are hip-hop.
Back to the Odyssey: I think it´s a better effort than the last one, it feels more complete and done with an heavy amount of love. Although it features some over played house anthems like "I´ll House You" and "Acid Thunder", it also presents some forgotten gems. Two thumbs up!
MP3 Strafe - Sett It Off (Vocal)
MP3 Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music
MP3 Eric B. & Rakim - Juice (Know The Ledge)
MP3 Queen Latifa - Come Into My House
Buy the album at Juno.
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