French producer Giom recently unveiled the second instalment of his Giom Classics series on his Supremus Records imprint, revisiting key releases from his catalogue, including his acclaimed 2007 remix of Vernon & Dacosta’s As Darkness Falls. A third instalment in the series is planned for after the summer.
Since making his debut in 2006, Giom has collaborated with the likes of George Fitzgerald, Riva Starr and Dave Lee, and released on labels including Toolroom and Defected. Through Supremus Records, he has also worked with artists including Dave DK, Fred Everything, Doza, Pete Dafeet and Nail.
For this week’s #MyRecordBag, Giom unveils his 2000s house classics. As he puts it: “These tracks were all released in the mid 2000s by a collection of like-minded producers that all influenced me tremendously one way or another. I’ve ripped all these records off when I was learning to produce, and I still play most of these today.”
Lawnchair Generals – One Thing (Westbound, 2002)
“My all-time favourite producers, bar none. It’s impossible to pick just one track from their catalogue but, because I have to, I’d say this is the first one that floored me. What a way to start a set, even today. Put this on and immediately the pace is set. Sexy, funky, dubby and incredibly hypnotic – all the best ingredients are contained in this masterpiece made in Seattle.”
Inland Knights – Slummin’ It (Amenti Music, 2004)
“Aah, the Knights. Incredible DJs and producers from Nottingham, UK, still rocking the underground today more than ever. We’ve become friends over the years. They’ve invited me to play their legendary Smokescreen party many times, and this is one of their all-time classics. Once you’ve heard it, you’ll be hooked. End-of-the-night classic.”
The Littlemen – Decked Out (Drop Music, 2005)
“The Littlemen, AKA Steve and Gav, AKA the crazies. These guys are pure joy to hang out with and so dedicated to the sound. Also part of Nottingham’s Smokescreen crew, these local legends have released their fair share of mid-2000s classics, and this is arguably the biggest one. I almost always play it, but if I don’t, I drop the acapella.”
Audio Montage – Naughty Neighbour (Freerange, 2005)
“Audio Montage, AKA Jimpster, AKA Jamie Odell, is a legendary deep house producer from the UK. Jimpster is obviously the incredibly successful DJ, producer and label owner that we all know, but this particular track really left a mark on me. It’s the funkier, disco-y side that gets me. Top-notch production that’s still sounding fat today. And it was released on his own Freerange Records, definitely one of the best deep house labels out there.”
Mario Fabriani – Things To Do (Jackin’ Tracks, 2005)
“Jack, jack, jack! Mario Fabriani, AKA Joey Youngman, AKA Wolfgang Gartner, AKA so many aliases that all have one thing in common: insanely strong studio skills. This is more of a filter-y, sample-based track but, holy cheese, does it slap! Even by today’s standards, this is a masterclass in great-sounding electronic music. That sample always puts a smile on my face. If you like this, I suggest digging out the other 700 million tracks he produced during that period.”
Martin VenetJoki – Really Don’t Stop (Dust Traxx, 2005)
“The first time I heard this track was on Mark Farina’s Connect mix CD back in 2002. For me, it was the standout track of the mix, but somehow it was never officially released until 2005 on Chicago’s Dust Traxx. What a timeless banger this is, so unique. I still play it. I have a few other VenetJoki records, but who is he really? Man of mystery from Sweden, I read. He also released under the alias La Cienda Honduras alongside Tony Senghore, but apart from that I don’t know anything about him. Anyone with any info, please DM me and enlighten me!”
Miles Maeda – Tell Me Why (Lowdown, 2005)
“I remember hearing this for the first time on a Honey Dijon mix from the same year, or possibly earlier. What a banger. I love the stiff, robotic drum programming and how all the chopped samples eventually come into place. Miles Maeda has always had a very unique sound. Some would say a bit same-y, but in my opinion the man always delivers the goods. Tell Me Why is one of his best.”
Da Sunlounge – Feel What You Want (Flavor Recordings, 2006)
“Mr Simon Newby, always a purveyor of quality Midlands house. Clearly there is something in the Nottingham waters, as this is where Simon is from too. This track, to me, is a great representation of his mid-2000s sound and it’s always been my favourite of his. Great mix of bouncy funk with a classic sample in the middle. I just realised this originally came out on Matt Shrewd’s Flavor Recordings and not Simon’s own Myna Music. Love it!”
Toka Project – Say Hi (Amenti Music, 2005)
“I’ve always been a massive fan of Toka Project’s productions – countless great tracks. Toka Project is Andy Riley, AKA one half of Inland Knights, so obviously his solo stuff is also fire. I chose this track because I think it was the first of his that I bought on vinyl and it’s always had a special place in my heart. A standout track from the Lawnchair Generals WMC mix from ’05. Classic!”
DJ Sneak – Smokey Hill Street (Magnetic Recordings, 2001)
“Sneaksta! The OG house gangsta. I’ll forever love Sneaksta. He gave me my first ever club gig at Ministry Of Sound in London, warming up the bar back in 2006. What an honour that was. He gave me a huge bag of weed afterwards too – what a gentleman! This is a typical Sneak track from that era with hardly any elements: drums, sub and a sample. A proper filter-y workout. It also just fades out at the end, like he’s saying, ‘OK, enough of this now.’ Love it.”
Thanks to Giom for his selections. Giom Classics Part. 2 is out now on Supremus Records – more information can be found here.
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