Spring Summer House Collection

Issued in early 2000 as a precursor for the spring and summer collections, this collection of 12 extended singles is a mixed bag from start to finish. Irma in general is big in the nu jazz school of house groove, so that is the theme here in virtually every case. The set kicks off with "Black Rain," a Herbie Mann-esque groover with three different drum loops from the middle to the low end of the sound spectrum. Offered by Black Mighty Orchestra, it's feel-good music that slips and slopes up the dial with a patented 4/4 and cut-time backbeat. Also notable is Bossa Nostra's "Chico Desperado," with its shimmering bossa groove that undergoes a warp into samba about halfway through. With the chanted female backing chorus and the gorgeous 808 loops, along with fluctuating rhythmic concerns that evoke choro as well as bossa and samba, it's one of the finest tracks on the disc. Ron Trent's mix of Sarah Jane Morris' "Dream on Baby" feels out of place here for its reliance on deep disco and bongo fury kitsch. Likewise, Spiller's remix of "Sombre Guitar" by LTJ Experience is heavy on Nile Rodgers' aping basslines and horn constructions. The deep scratching and groove of DJ Choco's mix of Voo Doo Phunk's "New Love" is a floor-ready anthem with whistles, bells, and a shaker loop that's to die for. There's nothing really in the cut that's innovative, it's just very well-assembled. The rest, which includes another mix of "Chico Desperado" by Street Vibes and Don Carlos' "Saxsoulaction," is for the most part pleasant but nondescript; it's interchangeable with virtually any other collection with the same vibe goal. And that's not bad; it's just not good. ~ Thom Jurek|