The Vitals:

Label: Alibi Vinyl
Genre: House
Number of Tracks: 2 for review (5 total)
How to Obtain: www.alibivinyl.co.uk

Factor Scores:

Production Quality: 7.8
Programming and Arrangement: 8.0
Entertainment Quality: 8.0
Total: 7.9 - Good

Z's Take:

Don your best suit and grab a pair of sneakers because this Ocean's 11 flavored house track is a combination of attitude and cool. Up first is the talented Spector who fly an acoustic guitar tinged breakbeat track under the radar. It starts with a DJ-friendly vibe and builds into a thrilling, potential floor-filler. Then Trafik comes to the stage with the second mix. From the "ooh" backing vox that weaves throughout to the bouncy bassline stabbing at the vocals from below, this track masterfully brings all the perfect elements together into a fun and danceable house trip.

Production Quality

Nothing to complain about here. The production is so top-notch that I don't even mind using that cliché. Smoothly utilizing acoustic guitar, acid stabs, and house beats, the two tracks arrive plastic-perfect without sounding over-processed. The male vocals don't fall too far into the lower frequencies (as many seem to inevitably do), and the mix is clean and complimentary to the music.

Programming and Arrangement

Although arranged quite differently, both of the tracks take artistic electronica to the next level. The Spector version is a bit simpler and limited but still brings out the best in the vocals. It utilizes breakbeats that are not recognizable and incorporate minute fills for added variety. The guitar and keyboard combo create a slightly Mediterranean-tinted bed of music that sounds amazing with the vocals. The Trafik version is even funkier. Although it reminds me of some late nineties tracks, I think it is one of my favorites so far this year. The simple house beat with the layered stabs and "ooh" vox take on new life under the cynical attitude-driven lyrics.

Entertainment Quality

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these tracks. Stuff like this reminds me why I love dance music. The lyrics make me smile while still being downright cool, and the music chugs on beneath them at a pop-n-lock progressive speed. Both of these pieces are built for the house mix and beg to be initiated on the dance floor. Both tracks are high energy and super funky dance tracks that beg to be played loud.

Summary

It would come as no big surprise that you would go grab a copy of these tracks for your collection. Whether you are listening to them on your earphones or you are rocking on the dance floor Northern Cast is sure to make anyone move. They are equal parts pop, funk, and dance music that are perfect for the summer.