Rhythm Masters

I am in absolute awe of the Rhythm Masters. I cant recall ever hearing a bad tune with their name on it. There style was pioneering and copied by many. They were a common solution to boost a weak tune in to a worthy dancefloor cut. Looking at their extensive catologue, I have to wonder how they managed to produce and remix so many tunes in just a few years. They must have never left the studio! These guys really have made an outstanding contribution to music.

The Rhythm Masters had an extremely dancefloor friendly sound. It was chunky, funky, filtered and cut up which was distinctive. You could always tell a Rhythm Masters remix a mile off. Now they have split they don't seem to have come up with the goods as solo artists.

Well, where to start? there have been many, many remixes that were consistently good. A Rhythm Masters remix for me, was always a sign of quality. Their sound is right up my street - chunky, funky, groovy, rolling harder house. Their own productions weren't quite as strong as their remixes for some reason though. I think "Ibiza In My Soul" was their best single albeit in the Todd Terry Basement mix form. Remix wise i remember their "Young MC" remix being particularly good, as was their Mike Delgado "Bydrmans Revenge" Downstairs Dub.

After Speed Garage mutated into 2-step, i started looking elsewhere for housier stuff as i didn't like the "stickiness" of the 2-step breaks, and i remember discovering the Rhythm Masters in about 1997-98 when they remixed Hyper Go-Go "High". I then started getting into a housier sound altogether and checking pretty much every Rhythm Masters remix that came out!

In this day and age of grating, boring with no groove Electro House, i feel that the Rhythm Masters are sorely missed. I'd love them to make a comeback, and see them whole disco tinged house make a resurgence. They have been a major influence on my djing and chosen house sounds. Rhythm Masters, thank you for your f***ed up take on disco.