Search - Junior Vasquez :: Earth Music

Vocal House Fans, Listen Up!

senzala queen | san francisco, USA | 04/17/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For many people outside of New York City who are not familiar with Junior's DJing on Sunday mornings at the clubs, this disc will be a tempting write off as a commercial sell out (techno and trance-loving Europeans will move in this direction especially). However, for all the vocal house- loving fans in New York and Chicago, this CD is an admirable showcase Junior's re-mixing talents: The songs underscore how la Vasquez can morph and stretch out popular hits to their limits while still keeping them within a framework held together by a melodic vocal or musical hook.If you enjoyed Junior's "Vol. 1" or "Nervous Breakdown" this disc is for you. If you're looking for the dark, hard, tribal element that is very much a trademark of his early morning sets, you will have to wait until a future release.Junior plays with tempo, with mood and with atmosphere on Earth Music. He moves from uplifting (Keep Control), to energetic (Dirty Dancing), to exotic (Guide Me God), to celebratory (Alive) to old school and gospel (House Music, My Imagination and Movin' On). "Fire" - the focal single on the disc - is a mix who's sound will trigger Palladium memories for any Arena veterans. It also captures the very unique re-mixing style thats sets Junior outside the DJ box often dominated by formula thinking. The finale, "Absolutely Not," is Junior's tip of the hat to fun and light dance music. He seems to be saying that a re-mix doesn't always have to be so self-absorbed and complex; people will jump from the dancefloor peripheries in order to shake their booty to something upbeat like this anytime. And if you're an avid NY clubber, you know that this is the case, especially around 12 or 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.Only two weak points emerge in my opinion: the "outstanding remix" of "Believer" doesn't hold a candle to the initial remixes played at Twilo. This song, unfortunately, sounds like a cheesy hark back to the 80s when casio keyboards and super simplistic chord changes dominated the airwaves of dancemusic... It gave me the shivers. Also, "Systems of Silence" is a lackluster effort that misses recreating the tremendous magic that Junior peppered over Billy Ray Martin's mega hit in the mid 1990s; it certainly doesn't happen here and that's too bad. In any case, 2 misses and 10 solid, imaginative remixes is a treat in today's world of assembly line compilations. Junior, we must keep in mind, is drawing on decades - not years - of influence and experience. He is the Yoda of US DJs and we should be thankful for that: His discs always anchor us to the musical roots of club music at a time when more and more of the world is moving towards trancey keys and techno pounding often devoid of any sort of "feel" at all."

EXCELLENCE IS EARTH

Mikhail Kapustin | West Windsor, NJ United States | 08/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is excellent if you are a house fan. It doesn't hesitate to offer great vocals, a variety of intricate beats, and masterful mixing. The selection of tracks is top notch. You may also want to get this album in conjunction with Earth Music 2, which, in my opinion, is as great if not better as Earth 1."

Unbelievable: Open your ears and close your mouth!

Conspiracy | Akron, Ohio | 05/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of the reviews I've read of this CD were absolutely correct: Those who enjoy vocal house will giggle with joy and delight when they hear this CD; those who enjoy tribal and hard house will search for the nearest open window. At any rate, I feel this is a groundbreaking piece of work - not for the music that was put on it, but the way in which it was all woven together. Sure we've all heard the songs like "My Imagination" and "Fire," but have we really heard them delivered with that kind of artistry? The intro to Fire with the tribal beat Junior is known for gave me chills when I heard it. The CD was worth purchasing for that track alone... thankfully, there are many high points like this on this CD. I've heard Junior live before, and this work is pleasantly reminiscient of his performances. My advice to you as a potential buyer: Buy it and don't loan it out to anyone -- you'll never get it back!"