Dance Mania: Ghetto Madness
Strut return to the archives of seminal Chicago house label Dance Mania in January for ‘Dance Mania: Ghetto Madness’. The follow-up to Strut’s acclaimed Dance Mania label retrospective ‘Hardcore Traxx’ from early 2014, this new instalment places the spotlight on the raw, stripped back, hyper bpms of ghetto house and the rise of the movement’s fresh generation of stars during the mid-‘90s including DJ Deeon, DJ Funk, Jammin’ Gerald, Houz’ Mon and DJ Milton.
The album traces the evolution of Chicago’s sound during the era as mix tapes circulated through local shops and DJs developed their own underground following, playing local parties in the projects. Crowds began responding to faster bpms and gangsta rap-inspired X-rated lyrics. As DJ Deeon remembers, “it bridged the gap. It made it OK for guys in the ghetto to like house again and it brought the women onto the dancefloor too.” Dance Mania was perfectly positioned to capitalise on the new sound – as many of the DJs came into Ray Barney’s record store, he was offered the cream of the tracks for commercial release at an early stage. The label would become the city’s HQ for the ghetto sound.
‘Ghetto Madness’ brings together some of the underground classics and in-demand favourites that have earned Dance Mania the title of ‘Ghetto House’s Motown’. Tracks include DJ Deeon’s ‘The Freaks’, Jammin’ Gerald’s early ghetto anthem ‘Pump On The Floor’ and Nina Kraviz favourite, Paul Johnson’s ‘Give Me Ecstacy’. Other featured gems from the archives include the DJ Rush rarity ‘The Reactor’ and Tyree’s classic jam, ‘Nuthin’ Wrong’.
‘Dance Mania: Ghetto Madness’ will be released in 1CD unmixed, 2LP and digital formats. Physical formats are fully illustrated by James Wilson featuring caricatures of the featured artists and hand-drawn artwork. CD will include a fold-out poster featuring an exclusive James Wilson ghetto illustration.
A Strut release available on CD, 2LP & Digital
http://www.strut-records.com
http://www.dancemaniarecords.com
