L. B. Dub Corp, named after a street in London where Luke Slater used to live, is the pseudonym under which the Briton is usually furthest away from his core business of techno. If you were to reduce »Saturn To Home« to individual tracks, you could even call it a pure house album: »You Got Me«, featuring the unmistakable vocals of Chicago house legend Robert Owens, evokes the charged atmosphere of Ron Hardy’s Music Box in every way, with its raw groove and spartan but catchy chords. Or »No Trouble In Paradise«, featuring the dub-tested voice of Paul St. Hilaire: A pounding kick, an off-kilter chord after five of the same, this is how the Dub Corporation creates a captivating mood that intensifies in picture book fashion.
But the album has more to offer than just tried-and-tested, flawless house songwriting. This is especially evident on the opening and closing tracks: On the former, which is also the title track, an exceptionally lively, organic drum groove paves the way from space back home. Next to Kittin’s voice, whose cool distance makes a lot of sense here, there are even icier bleeps lurking. Just a little bit bigger: »Cloak And Dagger«, on which Slater shows off his drumming skills—the Brit had actually stood behind the drums before his career as a DJ—in a flash. Snares, toms and hats communicate with acute urgency, a quivering glockenspiel adds to the mood in a Millesque way. This album should be played live.
Saturn To Home
