- So much for expectations. Knowing that Tom Neville was once responsible for a release called "Just F**k" and put together a Mixmag cover mount CD entitled Electro House – The Sound of Summer 2006 will do little to prepare you for the deliciously weird 12-inch on offer here. Neville has made his name remixing for the likes of The Verve and Britney Spears. And while you can hear the subtle echoes of electro bleeps, epic builds and moments of trance, he relentlessly cuts them off at the pass.
On "NWN," Neville builds a nice little riff that'll be old hat to anyone that's listened to dance music for the past, say, decade. But instead of hammering it into the ground, he fades it out and replaces it with Henry Bennett singing a counter melody over in the corner. It's equally as catchy—"doo do doooo" has that effect on you at times—but it's a subtle left turn that cools the song down instead of heating it up as you might expect him to.
The same goes for "Spalding" which is the classic build, build, build, BUILD and...nothing, really. Neville just fades things out time after time. It's a supreme bit of self-control from a guy that you'd think wouldn't have much. And it works wonders. The hooks are still around, but without someone to pound them into your brain with a hammer, they last longer and they're far more pleasurable to have around for long periods of time. If the sound palette of the "sound of summer 2006" does your head in, you won't have much to look forward to here. But with an open mind—and an open CD booklet—these tunes are remarkably strange and effective little things.
Tracklist A NWN
B Ray Spalding