- Scott Grooves may be among the most underappreciated of Detroit producers. On some level, though, he only has himself to blame. Shy and unassuming, Grooves has rarely announced himself to audiences in the same way as some of the city's bigger personalities. But over the past few years, Grooves has established himself as one of the most consistent producers, releasing tracks on his own Natural MIDI, as well as the insta-classic "Coco Brown," which emerged on Clone late last year.
2009 has seen Grooves get back to basics, celebrating the 808 and—here—the 909, with a third release planned that will tackle the 606. As you might expect, the sounds found on "909" are generated via the classic drum machine—of which only around 10,000 were reportedly produced. Thus, the key is in the emotions that Grooves elicits. They're undeniable. And, for anyone who has listened to his work of late, knows that he has no problem there. Even with his limited tools—or perhaps because of them—Grooves builds a funky, smooth ride that sounds completely timeless in both its classic form and the B-side's second mix, which subdues the main melody in favor of atmospherics.
Panther, who also remixed "808," and his take on the track isn't exactly timeless, but it's nonetheless worthwhile. The melody sounds almost as though its being scrubbed over its length, panning its smeared contents as it does from left to right. It's just as sedate as the original—if not more so—but would more easily slot into dub techno sets than pure techno. That said, it's hard to care much where it fits. I could listen to it all day on its own.
Tracklist A1 Classic
A2 Reprise
B1 Panther TR Dub
B2 Mix II