Phil & Fill Present Yokiboys – Groove On

Given the fact that this was only released in the Netherlands as a 12" single, I can understand that even 27 years after this record was made, no review of it was written in Discogs. 27 years... I guess the Yokiboys (Olav Basoski & DJ Erick E) are parents now, having children with the age they used to have when they made "Groove On"...
I guess the only reason why this tune did not hit the big time was that the boys themselves did not want this to become big, or the entire worldwide house scene was in a deep sleep...

Needless to say, when I heard this for the first time, I was totally overwhelmed. After being used to Pancake and Sil, it was the last thing I expected from a Work record. The regular groove of "Groove On" is as 1970s as a house record can possibly be. I recall an interview with the Chicago house scene in a dance music magazine from the late 1980s, when they said that house was just a stripped down version of disco. House had everything that disco had, minus all those things that made disco fun, such as melodies, orchestrations and lyrics about love. House had the 4/4 kickdrum, but melody was restricted to the strict necessary and house lyrics were only "jacking".
I guess the Yokiboys wanted to make a disco record that sounded like house, rather than a house record sounding like disco. It's basically a 4/4 kickdrum with a one-bar (4-count) sample from a backingtrack of a disco record (I'm still curious which one) with some of their trademark sounds layered on top (so you still have the impression you are dancing on a contemporary record) plus some vocal statements. The float and stomp grooves on the B-side are more towards progressive / techno and more what we were used to from a Work record.

Having said this, I think "Groove On" was released at the wrong moment.
If it were released in 1996/97, it would have done better. Disco garage was going big then: Gusto "Disco's Revenge", Lisa Marie Experience and Todd Terry reworking Musique's "Keep On Jumpin'", Boris Dlugosch breaking through with "Keep Pushin'", Stretch 'n Vern reworking Earth, Wind & Fire, Roger S reworking the Gibson Brothers, Klubbheads "Discohopping", NBG "Disco Babe", Jamiroquai "Cosmic Girl", Daft Punk's first records.
And if it were released 1999/2000, it would have become a massive hit. Armand van Helden's "2Future4U" album, Avant Garde "Get Down", Full Intention doing remix after remix, Phats 'n Small, EWF being remixed by them, Moloko "Sing It Back", Onephatdeeva, Knee Deep, Bini & Martini, Soul Providers, Disco Kandi...

"Groove On" absolutely deserved a place among all these names.

If the music makes you move...: groove on!