With old-school Deep House enjoying a healthy revival, it’s cool indeed to see MK (Marc Kinchen,) one of the most important and visionary House music artists from the ‘90s, still working – and not only working but effortlessly bringing his signature style into the here & now. His “Dub IV” remix of “Bring Me to Life,” with Milly Pye on vocals, shows the man in peak form. As he did with his classic collaborations with Alana, wherein he overhauled original recordings of their singles (which already incinerated the envelope) into darker, more experimental grooves, this dub samples a vocal passage, freaks it, and then loops it into an irresistible hook. Revamped elements of bass, beats and piano flower into a hypnotic call to dance. MK’s gift is his knowing how to work the dancer into a trance-like state through the art of repetition. In his legendary dub mixes, he frequently creates an instrumental tension that is released, tightened, released, and tightened again around a key sung phrase – here it’s “All my demons feel like they disappear tonight…,” a potent summation of the effect of the dance floor. His forthcoming album should be a beast.
Photo from Step On Magazine