Artist: Future Funksta
Title: Not Feeling Lucky
Label: Blaktrax Records
By: Simon Jones | 1 August 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Original House Mix
• B: Sub Dub

Future Funksta "Not Feeling Lucky"

Barry Jamieson is better known as one half of progressive duo Evolution alongside Jon Sutton. Between them over the past two years, the duo produced such tracks as 'The Phoenix' as well as many others, culminating in the album 'Unnatural Selection' in 2002. Since then the duo have been refocusing their ideas, but in addition to engineering and co-producing with the likes of Sasha and Bill Hamel as of late, Barry has found time to put his hand to this soulful little ditty entitled 'Not Feeling Lucky', and it really is something rather special indeed.

Barry's 'Original Mix' is a sublime blend of warm house grooves, hypnotic shaker percussion and analogue style effects. With a tight b-line that holds it all together, the soulful male vocal dominates, drifting out through the speakers, backed by gentle melodic stabs, as the occasional warbling effect sends ripples through the groove, synths adding yet more emotion to the intensly delivered but somewhat laid back vocal dialect, as the final section of the track sees the vocal effected by a gentle bleep filled outro, ending this warm little ditty just nicely. A quality, well produced house track from a man who could be regarded as one of the progressive scene's founders.

Over on the other side, the 'Sub Dub' which strips the original down, and rebuilds it in fine speaker tweaking fashion, intricate melody lines weaving in and out of the beat patterns, as a funk fuelled sub bass b-line rocks back and forth deep within the heart of the mix. Atmospheric sweeps fill the backdrop and this jackin alternative dub will get the floor grooving along with ease.

A nice diversion from the norm for Barry Jamieson, and hopefully a direction that we'll see him go in a lot more in the future. I am not the greatest of house lovers, but this has been getting some serious rotation from me as of late. Be sure to give it a listen, and you better strap yourself down, because rumour has it that the master himself, Mark Bell is set to add his own take on things for a forthcoming remix 12". Watch this space for more info as it develops.