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Junior Vasquez
EARTH MUSIC 2
(TOMMY BOY)

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Any thought that Junior Vasquez, one of the prime inventors of the deep-house genre, might have lost his primacy is dispelled by the depth and intensity of his latest CD mix. If anything, his sound is more distinctive now than ever, as throughout these 12 tracks he eschews the trancy electronica and fruity Eurobeat that populate other house-music DJs’ sets in favor of the melodic richness, bluesy rhythms, and salsa-influenced beats that have always identified his hand. If you like rapid quick-cutting from one track to another, echo-blended vocals, and lots of vocal riffing, Vasquez was your guy when "X" and "Get Your Hands Off My Man" came out back in 1991, and he’s still your guy as he riffs and rolls from Fierce Ruling Diva’s "You Gotta Believe" to Fumix’s "I Got Something" to Lamya’s way-over-the-top "Empires." Other high points in this set — which blossoms with divas ruling and b-boys smiling — are Murk vs. Kristine W’s "Some Lovin’," an eight-minute overlay cake with vocal riff frosting on top, and Suzanne Palmer’s diva-displaying "Show Me" — gospel disco at its lushest, reminiscent of Loleatta Holloway.

BY MICHAEL FREEDBERG

Issue Date: January 16 -23, 2003
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