For their second mix CD on Star 69,
Saeed & Palash get a disc each and fill the gap between
Peter Rauhofer's thumping brand of mainstream house and the more cerebral style favored by the progressive set.
Saeed's disc is unquestionably Miami after hours, kicking off with a bouncer barking, "The party is over, everybody go home." The midtempo trip that follows makes for a good head-bobbing ride home from the club or a maybe a little hair of the dog for the morning after. With excellent tracks from Formule Express, Thick Dick, and
Loco Dice, it's heavier with highlights than disc two, and
Saeed's love of mischievous lyrics and funky disco claps should go a long way to stop the constant comparisons to the more dubby
Deep Dish.
Palash does a good job raising the tempo on his disc, but the tracks give him less to work with and the set runs out of ideas somewhere in the middle. Most of the songs are overly decorated or commonplace, with the exception of Dark Clark's "If U Want Me," a cheeky, tribal standout. ~ David Jeffries