Raheem Hershel – Gotta Have The Pokey

Photo is by John H. White, "Men pose on a South Side street" (1974)

Funny. When I found this record yesterday in a store in The Hague there was only one track that sounded like Legowelt to me, for the rest I was completely convinced that it's some obscure chicago guy I never heard of. Especially the a-side give's that impression. That is, if you're jumping through the vinyl not noticing the rather well-known vocals that are quite typical for Wolfers ;)

i dont see anything novelty or ironic about this release though there is some humour in a lot of danny wolfers tracks. maybe chicagoans dont get it when skinny nerd europeans make chicago house? me on the other hand totally get it. love this release.

This is what I'd call a novelty acid record. Not sure it was ever intended for the dancefloor. If it was played somewhere, I'd hope that everyone was wearing ironic t-shirts to match the ironic beats. As a native Chicagoan and a lover of most things acid, this record has never really moved me hence it's inevitable home in the used bin at Gramaphone Records. So long...

"Raheem" (Danny Wolfers aka Legowelt aka Polarius) set out to pay homage to the chicago acid sound and in doing so takes another small step forward. The interpretation comes out funkier and far more interesting having been run through the Hague filter. Great musical things happen when you drop your proverbial chocolate into my peanut butter.

Though it may be self-conscious, this is a still a grimy, '85 style Chicago warehouse record a la early Steve Poindexter, Paul Johnson, Armando, et. al.,
and he shows a great respect and love for that era of midwest lo-tech floorslammers.