international news _ 16th February 2005
Buzzin Fly Volume 2
The west London label house label that seems to be firing on all cylinders these days is Ben Watt's Buzzin Fly records. Nominated for no end of House Music Awards the Everything but the Girl producer is building up a solid repertoire of artists and consistent quality productions that's making DJs and fans alike sit up and take notice.
This compilation, the second in the labels relatively short history sees Ben attempting to provide a musical narrative on the emotions of post 9/11 NYC from angst through to redemption a mixture of spoken vocals some written by Watt himself including a collaboration with London MC Estelle.
In Ben's own words:
'I wanted to take that character on a journey of re-assessment and re-discovery, utilising sounds from the history of house - machine-tooled Detroit, the soaring simplicity of raw early Chicago, through to modern Afro-beat and electro-house,' continues Watt. 'At times I've used voices to simply assert the unifying power of music ('Lone Cat' / 'Senti Sabi' / 'Night Of Music'). At other times they are statements of uncertainty, reflections by a tough survivor on a lost past ('Intro' / 'Pop A Cap In Yo' Ass'). In the end they offer the acceptance of unconditional love ('I Love You') and the abandonment of illusions ('Goodbye Illusions') as a route to a new life. These ultimately are the things to cling on to, and music is the glue that bonds it all together. The healer. Life goes on.'
The album features a large selection of young talent hand picked from Buzzin Fly together with one of Ben's unreleased tracks and a smattering of other artists that gets the Watt seal off approval. To give the recording extra authenticity and raw excitement in the studio, before mixdown, the DJ mixer was specially wired with vintage tape delays, a custom-built Space echo and rare phase-filters to breathe life and character into the special effects and tricks that propel the crossfades and breakdowns. I don't know what the results going to be on that but it certainly sounds cool!
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