Johnny Fiasco + Justin Martin :: Winter Sessions
Review by Chain | Published December 2006 | Review Archives
Johnny Fiasco, I know, and we'll get to him in a second. Justin Martin on the other hand is always sort of an unknown quantity to me, even though I've been following him for awhile. Sometimes a DJ hits and misses, and evidently it's true of some producers as well. He's done some good remixes that I like (for instance, "Magnificent" from Iz and Diz, represented here). He's done some that I even loved. On other occasions the mixes seem to be aspiring too much toward commercial success for my taste. His side of the latest OM mix CD, Winter Sessions, sort of encapsulates the mixed emotions I have, from some really quirky and sometimes brilliant choices ("Take Me or Break Me" from James Taylor [!] leads it off) to the more saccharine side of House music.
Johnny Fiasco, on the other hand... Let's just say that there are surely a few misses in his career as there are in anyone's professional life, but none that stick in my mind after so many hits. Fiasco brings in some of his own tracks but promotion seems to be the furthest thing on his mind here. For instance, he does an accapella turntable dub, mixing Ladybug Mecca's "Dogg Star" with his own Conduction. Not a lot of people would treat their own creations so freely in a big spotlight moment like this, but with Fiasco it's all about making the mix work, and it does. Other highlights on here are Fiasco's own "101" (Joey Youngman Remix) and up-and-comer's Uneaq's "Night Music" (two Uneaq songs are licensed here, one on each disc - is there an OM release somewhere in their future?)
On the whole, this is a pretty strong release and continues the evolution of both OM's seasonal sessions mixes and their evolution as a label as well. Though I favor the Johnny Fiasco side, it's worth the purchase price for that reason alone, and looking at the rest as a bonus.