- Erick Morillo's never been one to pay much heed to subtlety. His earliest productions, such as '93's "I Like to Move It" (produced with Ralphie Munez under the Reel II Reel moniker) and '94's "Dancing," established him as a party-time hustler, more interested in getting girls on the dance floor than in pleasing the chin strokers. His longtime label, Subliminal, pioneered the whole buzzy-bassline-with-tribal-beats sound that still packs 'em in at the superclubs. And his DJ sets, whether they're at his home base of Pacha NYC or on the Mediterranean's White Island—where he's been dubbed "The King of Ibiza"—are full-throttle, 130 BPM house-music muggings. And then there are those flirtations with the likes of P. Diddy and Tommy Lee...
And yet, there's something about Morillo that makes him hard to hate on, even for those people for whom the words "big commercial club" are pretty much the same as "the last place you'll ever find me." You never get the feeling that he's a calculating clubland impresario aiming to rake in the bucks (though we assume those bucks are being indeed being raked); instead, he's like a kid who's been given a toy drum set, banging away on it for all it's worth. At least, that's the impression one gets from listening to Strictly Erick Morillo, a new triple-CD comp (two mixed, one not) which showcases the Colombia-born spinner in rude 'n' crude peak-time form.
As the name implies, it's being released on the recently rejuvenated Strictly Rhythm, the label which gave Morillo his start—and as one would expect, the mix is jammed with early Strictly cuts like Underground Solution's "Luv Dancin'," "Deep Inside" by Hardrive, and "Reach" by Lil Mo' Ying Yang, AKA Morillo and Louie Vega. Of course, these clubbing touchstones have been radically remixed, juiced up almost beyond recognition into big-club bruisers, but at least there are hints of past grandeurs to be had. (Thankfully, CD 3 contains a healthy dose of the original versions.)
At times, particularly on CD 2, the mix flirts with mainstream trance and big-time techno; Mark Knight and Funkagenda's version of "The Man with the Red Face" makes an appearance, for instance. But this really is all about full-throttle house—take it or leave it. And Morillo, permanent grin glued to his face, is unashamedly taking it.
TracklistCD1
01. Underground Solution - Luv Dancin' (Mike Dominico Remix)
02. Danny Clark - Wondrous (David Penn Remix)
03. ATFC feat Yasmeen - Tell U Y
04. DLG & Erick Morillo - Where Are You Now (D.O.N.S. remix)
05. Cevin Fisher - Burnin Up (Prok and Fitch Remix)
06. Hardrive - Deep Inside (HCCR Remix)
07. Lil Mo Ying Yang - Reach (Mark Knight Remix)
08. Chris Montana - Speed Of Life (Etienne Osbourne Remix)
09. Leventina - Nightshift (Original)
10. DCA - Sandcastles (ATFC Remix)
11. Morillo and Richard Grey feat Shawnee Taylor - Hold On (2008 Remix)
12. Montanas - Music Talkin (D.O.N.S. Remix)
13. Klement Bonelli - Revival (Original)
CD2
01. David Tort - Lost In Acid (Ausfahrt Mix)
02. Copyright - Roots (Torre Remix)
03. David Penn - What Is House (Dub)
04. Zoo Brazil - Calle (Cost and Doray Remix)
05. Steve Angelo - Klack (Inpetto Remix)
06. Juan Kidd - Now You're Gone (Original)
07. Nico Diorio - Shop (Ahmet Sendil Remix)
08. Afro Jack - Radio Man
09. MK and FA - Man With A Red Face
10. Jerry Ropero and Java Organ Of Love
11. Harry Choo Choo - Cumbia (Jose Nunez Remix)
12. Chocolate Puma - Whohaddrums
13. CLS - Can You Feel It (Robbie Rivera Remix)
CD3
01. Reel 2 Real feat. The Mad Stuntman - I Like To Move It (Erick "More" Club Mix)
02. South Street Player - (Who?) Keeps Changing Your Mind (The Club Mix)
03. Erick "More" Morillo - Dancin (A "Little" "More" Dub)
04. Lil' Mo' Yang - Reach ("Little" "More" Mix)
05. River Ocean feat. India - Love & Happiness (Yemaya Y Ochon) (12" Club Mix)
06. The Erick Morillo Project - Jazz It Up (Original Jazz)
07. Joint Venture - Master Blaster (Turn It Up)
08. Barbara Tucker - Beautiful People (Original Club Mix)
09. Aly-Us - Follow Me (Club Mix)
10. Reel 2 Real feat. Erick Moore - The New Anthem (Not So Radio Mix)