- With Rhodes notes and gentle acid licks, John Selway's "Shimmerdown" achieves subtle brilliance through repetition. It's gently funky and soulful with hints of techno, the kind of track that will dazzle a party if given enough time to work its magic. That's partly why the 1997 tune, first released as an untitled cut on Selway's CSM label, fetches hefty prices on Discogs. Future Times, the DC-based label that specializes in a mash-up of the past, present and future, has rescued "Shimmerdown" from the sharks. It's paired with another vintage Selway cut made in collaboration with Andrea Taverna as Seltav.
Though the buzz surrounds "Shimmerdown," Seltav's "SPQR" is the pick of the two. It's from 2000, with the sleek and rigorous skeleton of tech house from that era. A great example of that sound, it features a pacey kick drum, tribal flourishes and an odd bitcrushed synth. It's the kind of steady tune you could imagine at the peak of an after hours, where dancers ride a wave that could go on forever.
TracklistA John Selway - Shimmerdown
B Seltav - SPQR