Artist: Way Out West
Title: Muthafucka
Label: Distinctive Records
By: Vince Hart | 30 October 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Mix 1
• B: Mix 2

Way Out West "Muthafucka"

The wait hasn't been as long this time around! WOW release their first new material in 2 years and it's geared strictly for dancefloor destruction. It's been moving packed floors for the last 5 months and is finally about to officially surface. Balance Promote has charted it at #1 for October!

Very DJ-friendly with syncopated snare action and Ol Dirty Bastard sampled to powerful effect ("Turn that mothafucka up!"). The characteristic funky bassline is present with spacy arpeggios, maximum synth layering and floor-shaking, crowd-pleasing drum fills. With breakdowns aplenty, there are many hands-in-the air moments, one in which the boys bust out with some funky air guitar pluckage. The mood transitions from funky to spooky and back again. There is also some eyebrow-raising turntable trickery instituted with the vocal.

Both mixes are quite similar with Mix 2 being identical through the first half but taking a more ragga route through the second, exposing the deep, bouncing bassline and air guitars for maximum effect (and less noticeable sample activity).

Mix 1, on the other hand, heads straight for the heyday of epic house with a cinematic chord progression that no doubt brings to mind images of the classic "Domination." Filled to the brim with luscious melodic layers, analog grinding, and spacious solo distorted synth-flutes in the background, WOW create another vintage moment with "Mothafvcka."

As it stands, there's no instrumental and the vocal sample can sometimes grate on the nerves if you try to attempt any home listening. However, the cd single offers an ambient 'Soundscape Mix' for those who want a break from the incessant banging. The scope of this review concerns the vinyl, however, and as such you will have to check out the cd for yourself.

This will NOT appear on Way out West's as-of-yet unnamed long player due for release by as early as March '04, so jump on this if you're a collector.