One of the toughest records to track down from Parrish’s early Sound Signature catalogue and also one of the best. “Music” is the kind of track that Parrish seems to have patented- spare and deliberate downtempo house whose distinct minimal elements (a hi-hat, a keyboard sample, murky voices singing “music/I love”) exist in a constant dialogue with each other. They may seem initially repetitive (which they are), but Parrish’s greatest strength as composer is his mastery of repetition, pushing it to its breaking point and then introducing slight changes that have the impact of tectonic plates shifting. Theo was trained as a sculptor, and if you’re hip to minimalism, you can think of him as Donald Judd filtered through Chicago house, or vice versa. “Moonlight” is one my favorite Parrish tracks ever– as well as being utterly gorgeous and lethal to a discerning dancefloor. Driven by melancholic and abstract organ patterns over a funky, shaker-driven beat, this is true deep house at its best.

• music label: Sound Signature 1997 / 2016

reviewed by Language 04/2016