dark lands

(Painting by Louise Balaam)

Today, a 1989 production from Robert Owens, one of the original Chicago house DJs whose work with Larry Heard, Frankie Knuckles and Satoshi Tomiie is legendary. A pioneer of the early US acid house scene that would later jump the pond to Britain, Owens' "Living in a Land" (released by Gene Hunt) is a 115-bpm, slow-burning acid number that has a subtly dark, menacing streak. Well-syncopated squelches, unbelievably well-padded kicks, and splashy cymbals make this a necessary track for any fan of early house and early acid house. Nowadays, Owens' sound is smoother and more what I would term soulful house, but he's still got an impeccable ear-- a trip to his myspace page (linked above) is highly recommended.

Robert Owens- Living in a Land

Tomorrow, my favorite track by the pivotal Belgian new wave soul group, Allez Allez