Audio By Carbonatix
Like it or not, Tim Deluxe may soon be despised by many of the people who currently adore him. Why? Because his first full-length offers pleasures that should appeal well beyond the traditional dance-music parameters, making him a prime candidate for crossover success. And nothing pisses off aficionados of a style on the mainstream’s fringe like having to share a star with the rest of the world.
A British DJ and producer of gathering renown, Deluxe has been a comer on the club circuit since at least 2002, when he introduced “It Just Won’t Do,” a merry mélange of screwy sound effects, persistent rhythms and echoey la-la-las courtesy of the charming Sam Obernik. Even more irresistible is “Less Talk More Action!,” Deluxe’s followup, which features surprisingly loose-limbed percussion, a tantalizing melody and cocksure vocals by Terra Deva, who comes across like a 21st-century Shirley Bassey. These two tracks appear on Club Kid, but the disc works so well because most of the other numbers compare favorably to them. “Heavy Weather” whips up a whirlwind of rhythm guitar, muted synth horns and emoting by Obernik; “2 Kool 4 Skool” is an instant party, complete with crowd racket; and “Mundaya (The Boy)” returns to the days when chill-out was still cool.
Deluxe’s debut isn’t meant to be life-changing. Rather, it’s the sort of entertainment-first offering that even people incapable of doing the Macarena can enjoy. The haters won’t be happy, but the rest of us will be.
