The Basement Boys were a trio consisting of Baltimore DJs Teddy Douglas, Jay Steinhour, and Thomas Davis, who began making records together in 1986. ‘Tonite’ was the debut 12” for their ‘Those Guys’ production alias, released in what would be a fateful year for the boys in 1991 as their indelible mark on Crystal Waters’ ‘Gypsy Woman’ made their name and sound known far beyond Baltimore’s city limits. For our money here at Dope Jams, ‘Tonite’ will always be one of the tracks, a genuinely timeless house epitome which continues to sound fresh and inventive. From the opening dialogue pulled from Ntozake Shange’s 1976 release of poetic monologues, to the slowdown after the 7 minute mark, each element is in perfect balance with the others, each subsequent section a logical and pre-prescribed inevitability. Humor, sensuality, and ecstatic joy all united under the massive ass-shaking beat: perfect house music. The ‘Reverse Mix’ on the flip reorients the listener through shuffling the ingredients. Staccato bass is followed by synth stabs and clipped drums, before the organ riff and vocal sample firmly anchor us in a thematic counterpart to the A-sidee, with the weightless canopies of synths sucked out to increase the pressure. The same, but different. “I like heavy kick drums, melodic bass lines, and memorable hooks in the studio —those are the formula” claimed Teddy Douglas. In the right hands, that formula can yield magic. Steinhour must have had one special basement.
The Basement Boys were a trio consisting of Baltimore DJs Teddy Douglas, Jay Steinhour, and Thomas Davis, who began making records together in 1986. ‘Tonite’ was the debut 12” for their ‘Those Guys’ production alias, released in what would be a fateful year for the boys in 1991 as their indelible mark on Crystal Waters’ ‘Gypsy Woman’ made their name and sound known far beyond Baltimore’s city limits. For our money here at Dope Jams, ‘Tonite’ will always be one of the tracks, a genuinely timeless house epitome which continues to sound fresh and inventive. From the opening dialogue pulled from Ntozake Shange’s 1976 release of poetic monologues, to the slowdown after the 7 minute mark, each element is in perfect balance with the others, each subsequent section a logical and pre-prescribed inevitability. Humor, sensuality, and ecstatic joy all united under the massive ass-shaking beat: perfect house music. The ‘Reverse Mix’ on the flip reorients the listener through shuffling the ingredients. Staccato bass is followed by synth stabs and clipped drums, before the organ riff and vocal sample firmly anchor us in a thematic counterpart to the A-sidee, with the weightless canopies of synths sucked out to increase the pressure. The same, but different. “I like heavy kick drums, melodic bass lines, and memorable hooks in the studio —those are the formula” claimed Teddy Douglas. In the right hands, that formula can yield magic. Steinhour must have had one special basement.
Tracklisting
A. Tonite (Original Colored Girls Mix)
B. Tonite (Reverse Mix)
Label: MCA
Cat. #: MCA1254079
Format : 12”
