Title track “Water For Thirsty Children” starts off ambitiously, with a Marcellus spoken word vocal which lost some impact for me because I thought it sounded like Zoidberg in Futurama. Any sense of disappointment or foreboding never surfaced again however, given the quality of the rest of the track and album.

Track two, “Take a Ride” features bottom-heavy bass, squelshy keys and xylophone drive this down-tempo track. The vocoded vocal suits the theme and mood perfectly, which continues right into “Melodies From Heaven”. The vibe here is seriously lounge, the music comfortably captivating.

Before you get too comfortable though, the album almost self-consciously changes tack, just a little, into “The Way We Were”, a misty-eyed bittersweet hip-hop cut featuring J.Fury as he evokes childhood images such as “fightin over who was the robber and who was the cop”. Very reminiscent of Skee Lo’s “I Wish” in beats, it has a positive, nostaglic vibe.

Next up is “I Love You”, a soulful r’nb with some real feeling and earnest vocals, mercifully bereft of the usual bloated sexual references that blight the genre. It could well be a dark horse commercially on this album, it certainly as good as anything of its ilk I’ve ever heard, but perhaps at only 2 minutes 44 seconds, is a little short for full-scale release. Nevertheless, a wonderful treat that could have so easily have been dumped in the ‘filler’ category.

“How Will You Know” is probably the most overtly religious song, but not obtrusively so. With a catchy chorus and hook, it sounds like those rare 80’s tunes you actually liked. Simplicity itself, soul guitars, keyboard and mellow house beats all blend to produce a track that will stay floating around in the head for a long time. Cuts and tweaks are introduced later, but not before the melody is well and truly established.

“Soldiers Listen”, the standout track in my opinion, is a rallying cry presumably for the “soldiers” of the general community, but, poignantly, one can’t help wondering if he has one eye on the literal here. A smooth yet simultaneously heavy jazz double-bass powers the tune, with heavily reverbed guitar and vocals. Lyrically it’s intelligent and spiritual, but not imposingly so. Classy stuff.

We’re then gently diverted into disco territory with “Dance Shake”, complete with catchy vocal and more Epiphone-esqeue guitar work. Quite reminiscent of some recent Julien Jabre material like “Same and Better”, the kind of tune too easily dismissed as cheesy by some, as they watch everyone else bound on to the dance floor.

“Moving Up”, the title track that’s now also out on 12” release is perhaps the most universally DJ-friendly one, with nice driving bass, contrasts well with memorable flute solos and an always-present harp. Something for everyone here, with another passionate vocal. Finally, “Cherish” rounds off the album nicely, with a bongo drum that suggests a dance but never insists. The vocal, quite similar to a Romanthony or Kenny Bobien, continues the themes of love, understanding and spirituality that percolate through the album.

What we are left with at the end of it all is a beautifully constructed and carefully thought-out album. There are elements of this album that different fans will find very appealing, but importantly, the tunes that would not normally appeal do not isolate either. As a lounge album, it’s a measured creation, taking the mood up gradually – as a purely DJ album, it has 4, maybe 5 viable dancefloor tunes. Look out for this one, it could be one of the albums of the summer. A winner.

But it’s Dixon’s Late Night Mix of “Harmony” that’s the outstanding tune on the package for me, with one almost-fatal flaw- too sloow. At normal speed it’s about 109 bpm (which I’m sure will be considered downright fast by some of our South Africa crew ;oD ), and I know it’s uncool, but at +8 and 118 bpm, it can do some serious dancefloor damage. Straight from the angelic intro, “Harmony” is the kind of tune that would fit comfortably into most deep house DJ set, with elements to delight all. Sweet, memorable vocals, minimalesque hats, cranked bassline - you name it! And there’s even some bongos at the end, perfect to mix from. Gorgeous.

Again, I was naughty and sped this up (only +4 / 124 bpm this time mind), to produce a tune that could be very well received on the more open-minded dancefloors. Imagine the bastard child of Royksopp and Daft Punk producing the soundtrack to a cybernetic car chase movie, and you’re (hopefully!) pretty much there. “Day 2001 (Brooks Floot Loop Remix) ” seems to get faster as it goes along, with new elements being thrown into the melting pot at will, each more twisted than the last. Not the kind of stuff that would usually float my boat, liked its ability to surprise me throughout; and in the end, I was equally surprised to find I really liked it!

Best described as UK Garage-influenced Breakbeat, “The Walk Home” provides the last instalment of a quality package. Admittedly, this kind of style is usually not my cup of chocolate milk either, but it never seems to make the impact of the other three. The bassline is the best aspect certainly, but overall it doesn’t quite hit the mark, for me.

If these four just aren’t enough for you, check out the full album these are plucked from, “Labresults”, a remix album of his original “Labfunk” (got that?). “Labresults” is on CD only, so you’d want to move quickly to grab this Limited 12” sampler. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

It seems that DJ blended CDs are a dime a dozen these days. If you can beatmatch, you can throw together a mix. The new Tyrant release is one of the most anticipated albums in recent times - exactly for the reason that it breaks that mould. Lee Burridge and Craig Richards have their own unique style regarding both track selection and mixing ability. Their one-for-one approach itself is different, but the music is what comes across with such power as to immediately catch one's attention.

Laidback yet with a dancefloor groove that cannot be denied, this is music that is perfect for just many different atmosphere. For DJs who are sometimes given the horrible label of 'progressive', this is music without boundaries. I would call it deep, funky tech house/breaks. But that's a bit cumbersome. For listeners who want something more substantial from their dance music, this is what you've been looking for.

Review by Mike Garrido and Scottie Blazin'

“Nightfever” has a touch of the old-skool sound to it, reminds me of some of the better tracks around that were around at that golden 95/96 era. The snappy beats make it techy without being aggressive, with an ethereal vocal over the top. Tough and solid, but never overbearing, and the finale is nice and long.

“Nobody Does It Better” begins as a breaky, minimal tune, with choppy broken beats, and that’s how I thought it would pretty much continue. Until it drops right down into a quivery, blissful vocal of, you’ve guessed it, “Nobody Does It Better”. This may all sound a little Judge Jules, but it actually works very well indeed, and changes the mood of the tune from then on. Bass then makes a welcome appearance, allowing the tune a more comfortable berth in the record bags of DJs who want to turn a few heads and make them smile.

The flipside offers a more progressive take on things, beginning with “Follow That Car”. Beginning very much like the Propeller Heads “Take California”, it certainly has enough experimentation with beats to keep the interest, including a sample of what I can only guess is a coin falling into a cup. The tempo and melody are kept up throughout, and the progressive house heads won’t go far wrong.

“Verena’s Wonderland” continues the progressive mood, but this time incorporating a more breakbeat flavour. A slow builder, it’s fairly reminiscent of some Orbital stuff, with distant voices and chimes, though certainly a little deeper. Not really my kind of sound, and the “For your Eyes Only” vocal doesn’t appeal to me as much as “Nobody…”, but this will certainly leave more than a few dancefloors shaken, AND stirred (sorry!)

Described as “Electrofunktropic” in the press release, but it’s not as leftfield as it may sound. Dark and tribal is the order of the day here, but with a soul and musicality that gives it a broader appeal than records of a similar persuasion. Plenty of tasteful crickets and wildlife background paint the atmosphere, with a rumbling bassline made for speakers on the bigger side of big. The production is keen and precise, never surprising the listener by introducing too much at once.

Coming with both vocal and instrumental mixes, I can’t help feeling that the kind of DJs who would be into this I would feel would be more inclined to play the instrumental. A shame perhaps, as Leon King’s vocal drips with soul, and provides a nice, memorable focus to the tune. So hats off to Muddyloop for keeping that Chez quality and soul intact, with an infusion of some cool, eerie moods.

“Fra Mauro” (Marcho) is described as “comparable to the moon”. Well, there must be some more water up there than we thought, because this track is real underwater deep. Brush strokes combine with hats beats to provide the high end, and the bass varies nicely with the ebb and flow of the track, even pleasantly flirting with drum n’ bass for a time.

Perhaps more suited to more spacey surroundings is the aptly named “Orion”, by Frankman. A minimal outing, with keyboards, sax and vocal samples then won’t be to everyone’s taste, but will certainly sit well with some. Each layer is added almost reluctantly. The high hats are kept to the fore, with some additions after about three minutes. “Orion” has enough goin on after about four minutes, so if you want some crisp hats and you’re feelin lucky, this could be up your street, but not your typical house club fare.

The Wighnomy Brothers and Delhia team up again for the final track of FAT 006 “Sputnikk – Shokk”. Don’t be fooled by the title; this is another soulful workout, and absolutely nothing to do with poodle-permed rock combos. The beats are innovative and sound kinda like electronic Rice Krispies, and are made completely from “body sounds”. Nice to see some producers looking (and hearing) beyond the sample collection now and then. The Wighnomy Brothers and Delhia are set to record a long-player soon, defiantly something to look forward to.