- Mad Mats and DJ Asparagus' Raw Fusion label may be more generally associated with the somewhat moribund nu-jazz and broken beat scene of the last decade, but they've always had time for more house and techno-oriented sounds as well. Lil' Tony, Future Beat Investigators and Wipe The Needle are the fellow Scandinavians that have been responsible for much of their four-to-the-floor output over the course of the last year or so, but the Swedish label have now looked south to Austria for their latest signing. Certain Subjects are comprised of Vienna-based producers Joachim Knoll, Vilja Larjosto, and Martin Riedler with Vilja (who also lent her voice to Lusine's blissful electronica anthem of yesteryear, "Two Dots") also taking up vocal duties, and "Miracles & Rooftops" happens to be the trio's debut single, matching up jaunty stabs, riding hi-hats and shrill arpeggios with Larjosto's rhythmic intonation.
The stab-driven 4/4 style has Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May's influence plastered all over it, but the synths sound much cheaper and give off more of an electro-pop feel, making it more of a track for electro house DJs and fans of The Knife's first album rather than more serious tech house heads. It's down to Philpot boss Michel Baumann to steal the show with his slick Soulphiction interpretation on the flipside, and he's managed to pull off the best house track on the imprint since Trickski's piano-vamping remix of 12th Floor's "Salsa 313."
Drifting in on intertwining synths and a relaxed but insistent bassline, Baumann slowly integrates the original hats with his own Chicago-inspired kicks and claps before dropping a series of ultra-smooth cosmic pads, pitch-bending the pattern to full effect. The vocal appears two-thirds of the way through—which is good news for DJs wanting to avoid it altogether—but it also seems to fit much better within the context of Soulphiction's chirpy deep house. That said, fans of female-fronted Scandinavian outfits may want to keep their ears out for more from Certain Subjects in the future.
Tracklist A Miracles & Rooftops
B Miracles & Rooftops (Soulphiction Remix)