Jack de Marseille

As a producer, there’s no doubt that Jack de Marseille takes a lot of care with his sounds. They’re tough, energetic and freaky but also polished and melodic. It’s a pleasure to hear house sound this well-produced without any of the usual filtered-out loops or rhythmic monotony. But for all of his attentiveness to the mix, de Marseille doesn’t push his content with equal rigor. Free My Music take on house music is basically hedonistic, escapist and body-centric. There are invocations of the African, rhythmic sensibility that characterises Chicago house and Detroit techno, especially on tracks like "Jay Slap,” "Bump” and "Party Time,” but as their titles suggests, it’s all in the spirit of nothing more than a good jump-up n’grind. Which is cool, but it’s not enough for those of us who crave something more spiritually or intellectually nourishing from our ecstasies. On the other hand, if there is an E-ed up vibe to Free My Music, it’s one that recalls more of the early, illegal, acid house underground than of today’s cigarette-sponsored, clubbing lifestyle. De Marseille’s call to the dance floor is joyously and brutally Dionysian and though it doesn’t offer any profound wisdom, it is a good place to begin.