Richie Santana
A PROGRESSIVE STATE OF MIND
(SONIC FOUNDRY)

Mixed by Richie Santana, a Chicago-based DJ, this 13-track set offers multiple points of intense interest. First, Santana’s selections absolutely rule. From Jaimy & Kenny O’s sexy garage-style "Keep On Touchin’ Me" and Superchumbo’s torrid diva piece "Revolution" to Suzanne Palmer’s anthemic romance "Hide U," Johnny Vicious and Lula’s "Journey to Uranus," Peter Bailey’s deep-house "You Want it (You Need It)," and Russian Roulette’s utterly over-the-top "Believe," Santana makes all his sounds behave as outrageously as possible. His beats seem to flop, growl, and squawk. His synthesizers boom, tweet, and shriek; echo effects — a standard DJ turntable trick — break melodies to bits (without losing their sweetness, as happens so often in electronica). And second, Santana chooses diva-style singers who glow and pucker shamelessly as they push their musical lipstick into your face. Especially torrid are Suzanne Palmer in "Hide U" and the unnamed queen bitch who, in "Believe," shouts "Bitch! Don’t come for me! I will give you something fierce! I will pack your ass!" at you while Santana’s hardest house rhythm stomps your feet and scrapes your backside raw.

Issue Date: November 1 - 8, 2001