Deep Heat 6 – The Sixth Sense (Telstar, 1990)

Review
Deep Heat 6 was the series’ second volume of 1990 and appropriately tagged as The Sixth Sense. Once again the inlay contains a selection of mystical writing: “Intuition seizes power through perception. YOU have the sixth sense. YOU have the power”.

We fly off with the Wing Command Mix of Technotronic’s Get Up (Before The Night Is Over). Nice variation. Anna G gives us some DIY house with G’Ding (Do You Wanna Wanna?) while Adeva’s Beautiful Love is bursting with sweet soul vibrations mixed by Frankie Knuckles. Fail to keep the smile off your face as MC Miker G busts a groove on Show ‘M The Bass. Liaz’s This Time is a tough soul banger while West Bam’s epic Hold Me Back was a big Ibiza number during the summer of 1990. Sounds like a Sex Crime sample. Memories of The Hit Man and Her. Meanwhile Snap’s The Power truly epitomises the true sound of the early 1990s with the sampling of Jocelyn Brown Love’s Gonna Get You making the real difference. The track was re-recorded after its initial Wild Pitch release prior to Arista making it go mega. The full story is told by Yemsky here.

Adamski’s N-R-G is the ultimate tonic, a squelchy rave monster while Guru Josh’s Infinity still makes me shed a tear 25 years on. See Snap It Up – Monster Hits 2 for more. Streetlife’s Tearing Down The Walls sounds like a reborn Colonel Abrams and passes me by. Escaped. The meek shall inherit the earth: L’il Louis’s Blackout is a fine example of scary, drugged-up techno. Switch back to moody soul with Survival’s The Dawning; Lamya Al Mugheiry on vocals, a haunting experience only on this record. After Stevie V’s endlessly inventive Dirty Cash and the ordinary Patti Day comes one of the year’s finest anthems: Baby Ford’s acid tribute to northern soul club, the Wigan Casino. Pressure Drop’s heavy duty Feeling Good rounds off a most enjoyable first disc.

“The future is within our hands”.

Disc 2 starts with a wind-down tune, the noodling acid jazz of Izit’s Stories. Such a fresh and underrated gem; we get the I’ve A Novella Edit which was on the CD single. De La Soul’s The Magic Number leads into Rob Base’s dope Turn It Out (Go Base) (Full Control Meltdown). The days when brothers had fun. The greatest story ever told: Atomic House (House Music Was Born) from DJ Atomico ‘Herbie’ which is followed by Donnell Rush’s euphoric Self Respect. And Ms Cathy Dennis who made waves all year with a clutch of quality singles, one of which was the bright groove of Just Another Dream. Turn around with Farley JM Funk as Exclusive T on the ill Turn Up Those Party Lights. Remember Dionne? She followed up Come Get My Lovin’ with the busy sound of Your Lies.

The Brits 1990 (Dance Medley) consisted of a megamix containing the following tracks: Double Trouble and The Rebel MC’s Street Tuff, A Guy Called Gerald’s Voodoo Ray, S’Express’ Theme From S-Express, Beatmasters’ Hey DJ I Can’t Dance, Jeff Wayne’s Eve Of The War, 808 State’s Pacific State, D-Mob’s We Call It Acieed and Cookie Crew’s Got To Keep On. I cannot understand why it has not yet been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Someday its time will come. It’s followed by the street soul of One World [Down On Love] and Gwen Dickey [Wishing On A Star].

In October ’90 A Man Called Adam gave us Barefoot In The Head, one of Balearic’s finest. Some months beforehand, the smooth fusion of Amoeba [b-side of Musica De Amor] bridged the divide between jazz, rare groove and acid house. Time to say peace as the Poor Righteous Teachers do just that. Now for some urgency as 2 Mad let flow on Don’t Hold Back The Feeling with its mega bass. Drift towards the end with Gil Scott Heron’s intoxicating Space Shuttle. It takes a critical gaze at the US’s space programme, considering it a waste of money given world poverty as well as a form of war-mongering. And see the sun come up with Tribal House’s hard bass of Motherland A-fri-ca.

“Space was the place
Where at least we thought our dreams were safe,
Ideas of innocence and grace,
Floating above the planet’s face”.

Favourite tracks
Baby Ford – Wigan

A Man Called Adam – Amoeba

West Bam – Hold Me Back

Izit – Stories (I’ve A Novella Edit)

Lest we forget
The Dawning – Survival