Artist: Santos
Title: Abrasive
Label: MOB Records
By: Simon Jones | 21 September 2004
Tracklist:

• Disk 1
• Disk 2

1. Intro
2. I Cannot Come Back From This Space
3. Shock Da DJ
4. No Ticket No Run
5. 70s Sensation
6. Disco Invasion
7. Sabot
8. Radio Berlino
9. Tzhubae
10. Big Bubble Soap Machine
11. Try To Burn

1. Camels (DJ Zinc Mix)
2. Gimme Da Mike (Lee Coombs Acid Rub)
3. No Ticket No Run (Krafty Kuts Mix)
4. 70s Sensation (Dylan Rhymes Mix)
5. Sabot (DrumAttic Twins Mix)
6. Sabot (Evil 9 Mix)
7. Too Fast (Meat Katie & Elite Force Mix)
8. Try To Burn (JDS Mix)
9. Try To Burn (Madox Mix)
10. Big Bubble Soap Machine (Banzai Republic Mix)
11. Sabot (E-The-Hot's Sabot-Age)

Santos "Abrasive"

Having been bitten by the music bug at an early age, DJ/producer Sante Pucello has spent much of the past decade or so creating music and forging his own identify within the music scene. With varying success, Santos as he's better known began to amass a following amongst his peers, but it wasn't until 2001 and the release of 'Camels' that he achieved the recognition he deserved. This UK Top 10 hit well and truly put him on the map and was quickly followed by his debut artist album 'R U Shakedelic', a long player comprising some of his best work over the years. From there his attention was grabbed by the growing breakbeat sound, which led to a series of singles on the UK's MOB Records imprint, and its here that he also brings us his second artist album 'Abrasive'

The result is an album that amidst the growing number of breakbeat artist long players is a breath of fresh air. Starting off with an intro that leads to the disco tinged breakbeat monster 'I Cannot Come Back From This Space, Santos wastes no time in getting his experimental hat on, throwing in twisted electro sounds and crazy noises and in the process creating on of the most out there tracks I've heard in a long time, and its these ideas that prevail throughout this album. This is quickly followed by another fresh offering in the form of 'Shock Da DJ', a deep and funky rolling epic that will drive you stir crazy with its big whooshing hoover sounds and mental cowbell sample. before Santos' debut single for MOB, the hugely successful 'No Ticket To Run' appears in it's original form, bringing yet more mad as eggs breakbeat mayhem and some big Latin flavour to the album, and as the album progresses things just get more off the wall in a way only Michael Jackson could have dreamed of.

With the melodic and tripped out opus that is '70s Sensation' leading the way, Santos delivers an awesome Moroder-esque cut called 'Disco Invasion' As the name suggests this electro inspired track brings together old and new influences, blending them together to form one devastating track, which is backed by the capable pairing of 'Sabot' and 'Berlino', both of which continue the electro theme, albeit in their own unique and individual way, paying homage to his house roots with 'Tzumbae' and 'Big Bubble Soap Machine', before the album is ended with his recent single 'Try To Burn' . Perhaps his most accomplished work to date, bringing both elements of his sound together in one meaty and powerful dancefloor weapon, 'Try To Burn' never fails to do the business. Here in the context of the album, it's the perfect exclamation point to one of the freshest and most inspiring albums of it's genre in quite some time.

The added bonus disc 'Why And How' is a welcome addition to the album, highlighting Santos' ascension with a series of carefully selected mixture of tracks and remixes from over the years. Including the classic 'DJ Zinc Mix' of 'Camels' alongside remixes of more recent material by the likes of Evil Nine. Krafty Kuts, and never before released remixes taken from the Italian label Mantra Breaks, which sees fellow Italian Stallion 'Madox' go twelve rounds with 'Try To Burn' and 'Meat Katie & Elite Force' spar with 'Too Fast'. Full and unmixed for those budding CD-DJ enthusiasts amongst you, this is an impressive collection of mixes that compliments the main album perfectly.

Santos has pulled out the stops quite frankly, putting together an album that is as much a listening album as a dancefloor one, whilst avoiding the usual repetitive trappings that grace so many other albums of this kind. Like it's name, this is an album that won't fade away with ease and that you will be enjoying for some time to come, and the only thing it will be wearing out is your cd player, so be aware that once this ventures there it wont be removed easily, and with that in mind, go out and grab yourself a copy as the MOB deliver another hit on an unsuspecting public.