- It's safe to say that DJ Ali was responsible for some pretty good releases in the first half of the '00s. Allied with vocalist Tim Fuller, "Show Me Right" and "You Don't Know" more than made their mark, so it's good to see him back and on form, aided by some very useful remixes.
Even if "Make It Hot" has a similar riff to Ali's momentous acid track "In the Day," it still does more than enough to carve out its own niche. Lady Precise, who featured on "You & I" by Ali a few years back returns, and her vocals effortlessly embellish the groove. Bodycode highlights the vocal in a more synthetic way and his chugging, analogue interpretation goes off on another tangent altogether. "Electra" is a dubby, tribal piece which, due to its phased saxophone and tough beats, calls to mind a sped-up "Show 'Em Whatcha Got"-era Public Enemy.
The dub is further emphasised in Subb-an & Shelton's alternate take which doesn't depart too far from the original, but chooses to emphasise a metronomic, percussive timbre. Seelie, meanwhile, goes for garage on his dub of "Make It Hot" to great effect. The originals are very similar to what Ali was producing before he went AWOL, and every bit as well-produced. The remixes all stand on their own two feet, but it's Bodycode's typically individual version and Seelie's garage-inspired dub that stand out on this release.
Tracklist 01. Make It Hot
02. Make It Hot (Bodycode Remix)
03. Electra
04. Electra (Subb-an & Shelton 12" mix)
05. Make It Hot (Seelie Dub)