Global Underground: Toronto

"We just wanted to remind everyone that there is Deep Dish and there is Dubfire and Sharam," says Dubfire, aka Ali Shirazina. "It's just showcasing our individual styles." Both Ali and Sharam were already DJ-ing before they teamed up, he emphasizes and both continue to play separate shows. Afterclubs loose agenda lets Sharam and Dubfire stretch the musical boundaries a little further. Sharams wide-ranging mix takes full advantage - flipping from the airy funk of the classic Masters At Work remix of the Neville Brothers' "Fly Like An Eagle" to something brand new.

Sharam spreads his mix further with tracks like Watkins' gorgeous "Black AM", which soaks a female rock vocal over a snaking, squelching bass. An unreleased mix of Timo Maas' "OCB" adds Giorgio Moroder disco bass to Timo's jingly guitar groove. The mix closes on an upbeat, Middle Eastern mood, with two more Canadian tracks. The whirlwind that is Sultan & The Greek "Wadi" bristles with dramatic wails and Arabic melodies. The Greek's solo release, "Alive" mixes a discordant, fairy tale vocal with pummelling house rhythms and spiralling riffs. It's a broad, confident mix that's best summed up by Sharam himself: "It's retro and old skool and forward thinking at the same time."

Album Description
Limited edition Afterclub CD from Sharam is a bonus to their main Toronto mix double CD set and give the Deep Dish duo (Dubfire being the other half) room to take a more personal approach. Wide-ranging, yet cohesive, they're individual halves of the Deep Dish sound - the music both past and present that makes up their musical whole. 13 tracks. Global Underground. 2003.

(Review copyright Amazon.co.uk)