Usually for the channel I'm looking at white labels, simple texts or retro designs or stuff that looks particularly weird. When it comes to me buying other records, there are a bunch of labels I will always listen to, but I know that usually I'll be able to find it online.
Strangely, this particular cut seems to have fallen through the YouTube cracks.
Downtown 161 is a classic New York City house label, probably known best for Kerri Chandler's Thing For Linda records. The depth of their catalogue means I always pull their stuff out, but their prevalence means I know it's probably already online.
When I found this record and listened to the number of videos of the Beat Is Down side, I was intrigued, but hardly blown away. Luckily I held onto it long enough to hear this gem.
When There Is Love (Life Is A Dance) seems to be a re-arrangement of a 1994 release on Downtown 161 by Phillip Daniel as Technique. It also features a remix by (maybe) one of the Burrell's, although they go uncredited aside from the title.
For this release in 1997, Chicago legend Derrick Carter (as the sleeve so desperately communicates) gives the original the Red Nail treatment.
With chaotic tribal percussion underneath the beautiful vocals of the mysterious Azarian and gospel-esque stabs evoke visions of smoked-filled sweaty dancefloors.
Life Is A Dance is also, I think, an illuminating example of how drastically house music was moving in the 1990s in the US. The 1994 versions and these from 97 are starkly different, yet both fantastic in their different styles and the singular thread that binds them, house music, is richer for them both.
Enjoy!
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