D SELECTION: QUENCH / SLAM
Another couple of D’s selections from 1993, with two classics from Slam and Quench.
Quench – Dreams (Extended Mix) (Infectious Records 1993)
Is this an early trance record? I only ask because I hated trance. There was something irredeemably crappy about it, no real substance or balls, all cream and no pastry. And yet, this does seem to have a tranceyish feel about it. In fact, whilst sorting out this track, X and I had a verbal ping pong of ‘Is this techno? Or trance? Or is it trancey techno? Or tech-trance?’ At which point we just dissolved into laughter and gave up. This was a big tune for the Slough mob as well. Yes, I suppose it is trancey but, what the hell, I just always liked this one. Thank God I didn’t get into trance though, what a disaster that would’ve been. I’d have had to move to Liverpool.
Two things always strike me about this offering. One, I think the intro bears an uncanny likeness to Energy Flash and two, Orde Meikle and Stuart McMillan must have been subjecting themselves to mucho Detroit techno, such is the influence reverberating throughout. Happily, notwithstanding the similarities and instead of sounding like a hollow rip off, this is just a cracking record that really grabs you by the throat and shakes the shit out of you. And the original mix is still the best despite the tinkerings of Richie Hawtin, Luke Slater and Derrick Carter. And Soma put out some seriously good stuff in the years to come. A winner. [Preferred ‘Eterna’ myself – Ctel)
Slam – Positive Education (Original Mix)
