- Like the wax equivalent of an NBA draft, Dirt Crew's latest release showcases the work of four promising talents still to make the leap from nearly-men to the big(ger) leagues. Of course, on this occasion it's Irish tough-guy, Niall Mannion, who takes the headlines, however his original productions are ably complemented by reworks from Class of '10 contemporaries, Jacob Korn, Iron Curtis and Filipsson & Ulysses.
A vocal sample from Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" is the point de depart for "Baby, Let's Love," though its erstwhile seduction is refashioned into forlorn yearning via impending bell tolls and brooding bass, with the good news being that it's all perfectly danceable. Shades of John Carpenter are present in both this and Mano's second offering, "Started Running" and—although a little too melodically similar—both stand up as decent examples of how to achieve atmosphere in dance music without forsaking groove.
Jacob Korn follows up his noteworthy EP for Steffi's Dolly imprint earlier in the year with another typically intricately-assembled hodgepodge of a remix that basks in its lo-fi funkiness, while New York duo Ulysses & Filipsson turn in a pitched down, more disco-friendly version of "Started Running." It is, however, Iron Curtis who emerges top of the class with his remix of "Baby, Let's Love"—a powerhouse of an acid-cum-Chicago-cum-Detroit track that sounds as modern as it does classic.
Tracklist A1 Baby, Let's Love
A2 Baby, Let's Love (Jacob Korn Remix)
B1 Started Running
B2 Baby, Let's Love (Iron Curtis Remix)
Digital: Started Running (Filipsson & Ulysses Remix)