Porter House (Steve Porter Presents...)

Steve Porter has been shaking up the clubs for well over a year now, ever since his debut Homegrown album took the dance scene by storm. Now he returns with the mix album Porterhouse, a reference not just to his own revved-up funky house style, but to the extended musical family of producers coalescing around the Boston scene. The album features myriad tracks from this local crew, both from established names like Eli Wilkie, Emjae, and Chris Reavey and from new up-and-comers such as DJ Hush, Bons, Musky, Chris Micali, and Island 9, to name just a few. The resulting set features a whopping 26 songs in all, eight from Porter himself, and each deftly spliced down to leave behind only the choicest musical bits, which are expertly spun together into a set of nonstop excitement. The flow is absolutely astounding, smooth as silk, with the music sweeping effortlessly out of the speakers and the intensity of the mix never flagging. The first ten tracks storm almost relentlessly across the grooves, but as overwhelming as the rhythms are, Porter still draws listeners' attention to the fine details, from the delectably funky basslines of "Request Line" and "Keep Sake" to the slamming beats and the metallic-edged guitar that circles like a gunship over "Junk in the Trunk." "Blowing Up My Phone" shakes the set down to its foundation, the stark rhythm and ominous vocals moving into dangerous waters. From here, Porter subtly shifts the mood again, kicking up the adrenaline with "Bi Polar Express," which steams straight through old-school house, while the edgy "The Limit" pushes beyond it with raw exhilaration. But it's Porter's own "Funk Theory" that epitomizes his style, a splashy piece comprised of blistering beats, a swaggering funky bassline, rousing synth chords, and a spine-chilling middle break that gives the piece a high-octane boost. From there, Porter begins to pull the melody to the fore, as "Chandelier Skies" and "Sentiment Soul"'s lavish synths sweep up and out, then again alters focus for the retrofitted sound of "Blue Steel." Further in, the DJ's own "Fountainia" encapsulates his joy of genre busting, melding together its Depeche Mode-esque aura with slamming beats and an effervescent atmosphere that bleeds into a tougher, more threatening atmosphere, echoing Mode's own transformation from bubble-popsters to electro-masters. He bests the floppy-haired ones at their own game with his brilliant effects on "Whip-in It," then whips through every style in the book on "Jay Flahtmeiner," before bringing the set to a dramatic close with his own "Time Alone." It's an absolutely brilliant display, and one that will leave not just dance fans breathless (and exhausted -- there's barely more than a couple of minutes of rest within), but DJs and musicians equally in awe. ~ Jo-Ann Greene|