GEORGE IS ON

...and that brings me to the tracks on this album. The first time I heard 'Flashdance' was (unashamedly) when I downloaded a low quality promo on a p2p network. Shortly afterwards I went to see Deep Dish in the Radio 1 Essential Mix arena at Creamfields. I have to say that their mixing was lazy, their track selection was sloppy, but their dedication to the big beats and funk-laiden melodies didn't falter. In addition to the original version of their as yet unreleased Flashdance, they played one of the David Guetta mixes. This was also the day I was introduced to 'Say Hello'. Sadly, the versions they played that day did not make it onto this album.

That's right. The good versions that they actually played in clubs were watered down. By that I don't mean to suggest that they were make more melodic or vocal. Nope. Pretty much the same, but with the magic touch removed. They removed certain instruments in the high end of the sound - the instruments that actually added the catchy funk to 'Say Hello' were again given the wishy washy midas touch. Again, Deep Dish submit to the lame and dated synth piano that the commercial audience expect. I was expecting this album to contain the original 'Flashdance' and 'Say Hello', but alas the "radio edit" disease is spreading.

The true test of an album is whether or not you can actually remember the songs after 5 or so listens. I bought this album then returned it. It's totally forgettable. If you want to hear Deep Dish's own work buy their mixes - they use their own stuff all the time, and usually with consistently good choons!

Good work boys. Shame we don't get to hear it. I'm sticking with my bootleg recording of that Creamfields mix! (and the 7 other Deep Dish albums I've bought)

Time passed, the remix quality began to get a wee bit diluted and eventually the anti-climatic Lets Get Ill appeared. Hints of producution work in the pipeline but still no action. This brings us up to now, Flashdance has had its recent chart assualt and the Dish name is now in full public view. Finally the follow up to Junk Science has arrived. So whats it like? Well its alright I suppose. I found Flashdance didn't live up to the expectation of what you'd want from a Dish track. From reading an interview when De'lacy hit years back, they said that their beat programming was always so important to them, just check the grinding beats of said Hideaway or the pots and pans banging of Stay Gold for confirmation of this. You can see where I'm coming from when I say that Flashdance sounded a bit flat for them. It comes across more like the Yoshitohsi's own 6400 Crew's Dub Me Some Tin Fresh, except less interesting. I found the same feeling with the rest of the album, good quality deep house, lots of laid back listening moments yet nothing that had the same sparkle as their Dusted remix, the Morel dubs, the Prog Trance abandon of the Sven Vath and Amber.

On the plus side, absolutely EVERYTHING on here is infinitely superior than the deep house twaddle that punctuates a Hed Kandi collection or the sheer bland bandwagon jumping of the usual chart bound funky house act X. George Is On may not have been what I was wishing for but make no mistake, Ali & Sharam certainly poop over the general masses when it comes to production skills. The tracks ARE slick, some moments of Richard Morel's vocals or the instrumental tracks take my back to the first listen of Junk Science all those years ago and you can tell that their years of experience shine through for crafting an album of consistent good quality music.

As far as an album to convert the unknowing goes, Dish are onto a winner here. A bit of quality in a usually blandoid market. Let me just impart this advice, newbies to Deep Dish via Flashdance should really go and stick Yoshiesque 1 and Renaissance Ibiza on their shopping list as soon as possible.