- A fresh take on a classic sample.
- How do you feel about "The Ha Dance"? The B-side of Horsepower Productions' new 12-inch poses the question more provocatively than usual. Where most tracks make do with sampling the iconic chant, "TP" uses a larger bit of the scene from Trading Places, where Dan Akroyd, wearing blackface, greets Eddie Murphy on a train carriage. (This extended sample makes sense given Horsepower Productions' love of film.) The sample is rightly pulled up for its racist origins. But as a cornerstone of ballroom, a scene rooted in black and queer identity, the "Ha" has thrived despite its baggage. Whatever your take, "TP" is an excellent flip of the sample. Key to this is the gloomy tone of the church bells and the other suspenseful flourishes in the intro and breakdown sections. Though "Stranger" isn't as much of a show-stopper, its dubby breaks, accompanied by Spaghetti Western gunshots, are reliably fresh.