50/Fifty Coming Up: #28 and #27

A pair, including what D calls comedy techno.

Best deal with the comedy techno one first. At #28 we have U96 and Das Boot (1991). It’s a dance remake of the theme to the film of the same name (a brilliant classic from 1981). This also shows what a ridiculously fickle person I am, since only three and a half years ago I said it was “a nice techno pop single but hardly essential.” when it featured in NME’s Essential Dance Anthems. Whereas now, I’m arguing that the mix of strings, robotic voice and kraftwerkian beats have held up pretty well in its ravist tendencies and so it merits its place in this list.

Best bit: the rave strings at 0.49

Hopefully I’m on stronger ground with #27, which is The Grid and Boom!. This also contains sonar blips, so there’s an unintended conenction with the track above. The Grid – Dave Ball and Richard Norris – had bigger hits (more here) in 1994 but this 1991 Italo house classic is my favourite. It samples Sandee – Notice Me and has some great piano.

Best bit: when it goes Boom! at 4.40 and you really get the feel of the sub-bass – common now but less used back then.

~ by acidted on January 7, 2013.