Silicone Soul
...A Soul Thing

In the diverse DeBaserian fauna, there will be someone who, between the nineties and the early 2000s, frequented the most glamorous venues of the Boot and perhaps even foreign ones, maybe because they were passionate about so-called “club culture” or simply to pick up some tall Northern European girls on vacation in the Beautiful Country.

These people will undoubtedly remember a track that, around the year 2000, took European trendy nightclubs by storm. I'm talking about “Right on!” by Silicone Soul, who, in the best tradition of electronic music, are nothing more than a duo from Glasgow, still active, especially from the DJ-set and musical selections point of view (their last produced album, Silicone Soul, dates back to the distant 2009).

The track was notable for the splendid voice of Claire Louise Marshall and its refined sound, characterized by the typical four-on-the-floor beat enriched by percussion and samples directly picked from the seventies (the strings, for example, were offered by the marvelous “Right on for the Darkness” by Curtis Mayfield).

The song achieved notable success, especially during 2001, and for this reason, it was included in various compilations and mixed CDs of the time, among which stands out, believe it or not, Hit Mania Dance 2002 (it's all true, you can check the tracklist yourself).

Let's return to Silicone Soul. I mentioned their discography, and indeed Graeme Reedie and Craig Morrison (these are the names of the two members) have released a good four albums for Soma Recordings, a Scottish label specializing in techno, minimal, and house sounds. Their debut, ...A Soul Thing, sees the light right at the beginning of the new century and is composed of twelve tracks, among which is an instrumental version of “Right on!” titled “Right on 4 tha Darkness”, just to allude even more explicitly to the author of the soundtrack for Superfly.

The element that attracts the attention of the most attentive listeners (but I would say a bit of everyone) is the almost total absence of vocal parts, except for the Moroder-inspired “The Answer”, characterized by the effected singing of Melanie Clarke and the heavy use of vintage synthesizers, which makes it very much electronic disco music. This choice, at first, might be interpreted negatively by those who loved the vibrations of the well-known single, but an in-depth and attentive immersion also allows skeptics to appreciate the “soul thing” conceived by the Scottish combo.

The second aspect that pricks the ears of music nerds is the preference for a “deep” approach, where Detroit techno blends with Chicago house. This union is perfectly expressed in “The All Nite Dub”, where the pulsating basses, percussion, and 70's-inspired samples meet icy, futuristic soundscapes, or in the subsequent “This Is the Sound!”, enriched by the presence of xylophones or vibraphones (I can never distinguish them) that immediately evoke the nu-jazz then in vogue.

Browsing through the track list, you realize that there aren't lacking courageous compositions, experimental in their own way. I'm referring to “Have U Seen My Baby?” or the sparse “Sundance”, pieces based on a bizarre combination, made of thick, concrete drums and abstract atmospheres, mitigated by the usual soul (but I would also say funk) touch of Reedie and Morrison.

The specter of monotony, as we know, is around the corner, and in this case, it's chased away by “Mong the Merciless” and “The Strip”, two tracks close to hip-hop and downtempo, territories perhaps not usual for Silicone Soul, but in which they maneuver decently.

Finally, it’s impossible not to mention “Chic-O-Laa”, the track most blatantly house along with “Right on 4 tha Darkness”. Built on a sample of “Satisfied” by Dinasty cut in different ways, it entertains and excites, updating the suggestions of disco music and inserting them in an elegant, contemporary context.

Until now, it might seem that everything is as smooth as oil, but in reality, it's not quite that way. ...A Soul Thing is indeed a successful album, but a greater variety would have, in my opinion, benefited the debut of Silicone Soul, also hindered by an excessive length (seventy minutes is a bit too long for an instrumental record, and the impression is that something, here and there, could have been trimmed).

Despite some small hurdles, the first attempt by the Glasgow producers is a pleasure to listen to. Unfortunately, subsequent works have passed somewhat unnoticed, and, aided by the decline of house music, have failed to bring further notoriety to Reedie and Morrison. A pity.

In conclusion, ...A Soul Thing will delight both the seasoned dancers mentioned in the opening and sweaty young club-goers (but also lovers of good music, like myself), especially in a period like the current one, marked by a decided return of sounds from the nineties and 2000s.

This is the reason why songs like “Chic-O-Laa” and “Right on!” can thrill the audiences of the twenties and are not just dusty material for nostalgic dancers with a few extra pounds.

Try it to believe it.