Corker Number Two, and the final third of the FSOM trilogy : Beyond (1993)

This one has they're biggest success, "Welcome" on it. I think I can safely say I was the first person to play it out at a rave (the week it was released), but since it was to a near empty room at 11pm at night it probably doesn't count. For you trainspotters out there, the piano intro comes from D-Mob's late 80s pop house hit "C'mon And Get My Love", while the "Welcome" sample is courtesy of a Gino Latino italo house number from 1988, also called "Welcome" (duh!). There's also clear reference to Mr Monday's "Future" - big with Davide Carbone - in the way the stab patterns are constructed at the breaks.
Massive party tune for a peaking room (and for years I think I told Davide that every time I saw him while I was nutted, much to his bemusement of course).


"International" is a disappointment - owing everything to Ian Pooley's "Message (All Over The World)" on Force Inc. (1991) and adding nothing that improves on it. But "Track Six" is a choice little techno number, slow in tempo, grounded by a neat breakbeat and with a red flavoured rhythmic synth lolloping lazily above. It's the perfect track to play to an emptying warehouse when you don't feel evil enough to fuck with tired heads. "Sub-Zero" is classic Steve Robbins acid - and the kind of track you could play to an emptying warehouse when you do want to fuck with tired heads.


Fans of FSOM will know that I've missed some of their work; yes, they had more than three releases, but apart from 1995's "Flashflood" I don't own them. I do have their CD Album Prologue though, so I can always post some more tracks later - "Pleazure" and "Equinox" are sure to make an appearance.

Discogs
A1  Welcome
A2   Sub-Zero
B1   Track Six
B2   International


Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire 

Classic Pure Closers By Steve Robbins

Pure was my home; every Friday I was there - I can't remember how many nights I missed, but it wasn't many. Did miss the final night at Dream nightclub because I thought nobody would go and it'd be too much of a downer, but Will-E rang me as soon as he got home to let me know what a great night I'd just missed. Apparently the floors were shaking because there were so many people rocking till the last track. Oh well.

It started out in the rear room of St. Kilda's Palace nightclub, I think in May 1991 - but it's all a bit hazy. It was Melbourne's first straight up rave techno night, although Maze @ Commerce had previously championed techno alongside underground house. Run by DJ Mark James, this was the club that made Will-E-Tell a star, yet what I remember 20 odd years later are the end of night sets of DJ Steve Robbins (later of techno group FSOM). He was older than the rest of us, and, shall we say, more learned in the art of getting off your head, but he'd been DJing since the first days of electro and had a fantastic record collection that leant heavily towards the 303 acid end of the spectrum. Steve didn't like to mix his records too much, so you got to hear great tracks in their entirety, and he always brought the night gently down towards close (none of this banging to the end and then tell the punters to fuck off nonsense).

Steve in the box at Pure after it moved to Dream Niteclub in late '91.
(Scotty working the lights)

So, with that I present two of his best closing tracks, both house, and both out of New York: Chapter 1's "Unleash The Groove (E-Funk Mix)" on Strictly Rhythm and The Sound Vandals' "On Your Way (Deep Mix)" off Nu Groove. Really fantastic tracks that deserve to be played in their entirety to the munted at 6am.
And they still sound great two decades later.

Discogs

A1 Unleash The Groove (E-Funk Mix)
A2 Unleash The Groove (Love In Sheffield Mix)
A3 Unleash The Groove (Blips In Heat)
B1 Unleash The Groove (125th & Lenox Mix)
B2 Unleash The Groove (Screamin' Pipes)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire




Discogs

A1 Tonight's The Night (Club Mix)
A2 Tonight's The Night (Bonus Beat)
B1 On Your Way (Deep Mix)
B2 On Your Way (Bonus Beat)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire





1990's "Unleash The Groove" is a particularly strong release; "Blips In Heat" is a piece of blissful beatless bleep, and the b-sides are completely insane organ workouts. "Tonight's The Night" on The Sound Vandals' 1991 release is a quite annoying bit of New York sample house, but the bonus beats are good.

FSOM - Melodia/Alien 8 - 1992

On the heels of their first ep posted here a little while back, comes this 2 tracker. Produced without the aid of third man Steve Robbins, you still get two tracks of well produced techno here. "Melodia" could even be FSOM's finest work - peak time breakbeat led rave music with a tremendous breakdown half way through (just right to bring a rush on). They stole the breakbeat from Ian Pooley's "Message (All Over The World)", but no matter - this is an all time favorite. As for "Alien 8"? Never really listened to it much - a bit too 'outdoor bush festival' for my liking, but you should make up your own mind...

A1 Melodia
B1 Alien8

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire

FSOM - Maglamania EP (1992)

They were never the most original production crew - hey they even pinched their name from Future Sound Of London - but they did know how to rock. Later releases spawned "Melodia" and "Welcome", both exceptional tracks, but this is their first. As far as I know, they don't think much of it these days, but it holds good memories for me. If there's a flaw, it's that each track tries to do too much, but it's also what makes them interesting - there's a fusion going on here of pretty much every sound they were into at the time - rave, house or techno.
Even so, my favorite bit is on the centre label: "...anyone found copying, broadcasting or sampling this record will be hunted & shot". 

A1 Resist The Beat
A2 Raving Mad
B1 The Witch And Her Spell
B2 Barefoot In Sydney

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire