Various - In The Dark (The Soul Of Detroit)

This is one of the greatest collections of beatdown style Detroit sounds. I'm a huge advocate for beatdown being recognized as a unique genre. It shouldn't so much be listed as deep house since the bpms are much slower on a lot of the tracks and beatdown has a harder more aggressive,and often darker, techno edge to it. This compilation is a great example of this unique and intoxicating genre.

Courtney Jackson's Everybody is so lovely. I just absolutely love it. I keep hoping for more to come forth from here,but alas my wishes have not come true yet.

Marcellus Malik Pittman has become one of my new favorites along side my most favorite Theo Parrish,who btw is not on this comp.

Too bad downloads are killing music. Damn devil format that has made music so convenient,but ruined it for underground releases such as this to be more worth while.

Malik Pittman's "A Walk Through Osaka" is a really sweet warm minimal house jam. Delano Smith's "Hot-N-Funky" has a kinda early 90's New York groove to it. Mike Huckaby's "Melodies From The Jazz Republic" has that super deep Harmonie Park vibe to it. The Worthy/Alston jam "Ecoutez" rocks a keyboard solo over minimal beats. Rick Wilhite and Sheldon Ingram's "Cosmic Jungle" is on the synthy downbeat house tip. Altogether they give a good overview of the different sounds that come from Detroit. However, it is the Raybone Jones, Marcellus Pittman, and Rick Wilhite collaboration on the title track "In The Dark" that shows the true depths of Detroit house. It's very slow and grimey stroll through Detroit's night life, stopping and starting and endlessly pounding. Abstract and abrasive, this is the kind of track that will make people freak out on the dance floor in Detroit.