My Record Collection Spotlight #3: Collected Works 95-98 by SWAG
Late last night my house-head buddy @fourfourfun and I were on Discord, discussing and digging into the wealth of gems that the 90's UK Deep House scene has to offer. He, being a few years my senior and actually having lived through the aforementioned scene, brought up the record I am writing up today. I went to discogs to look it up and give it a listen, and imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually had a copy lodged deep in my collection right next to my decks!
(All thanks to my obsessive cataloging habit)
After this very fortunate turn of events, I listened to the whole record a few times over. Just incredible Deep House/Tech House type vibes that were waaaaaaaaay ahead of their time, in context. Massive kicks, all the textured, noisy synths one can handle, and signature UK house 2-step rhythms paired with impeccable sound design make for an absolute delight to dancefloor denizens the world over.
Swag, a duo consisting of Warp Records mainstay Chris Duckenfield and the ever-prolific producer/engineer Richard Brown, were specialists of the late 90's Tech House and UK Deep House vibe. Also having worked together on the RAC (not be confused with the contemporary pop-shit-EDM remixer, RAC) releases from Warp, the duo had a well honed and prolific workflow in the studio, releasing dozens of dancefloor bombs between '95 and 2008.
I think you'll be able to figure out which period of their career the "Collected Works" aims to highlight. Collecting only the best from their significant output during '95-'98, this compilation encapsulates some of the finest Deep & Tech House ever put to wax. Putting it on the decks now, alongside the most modern of house, all of these tracks stand the test of time and demonstrate their eternal appeal.
My personal favorite so far is VERSION 1. I'll leave you with this track as a sample, and direct you to order the double LP if you are serious about getting into these vibes. Dig deep, friends!