Wah Wah’s first official compilation, Underground Hits and Exclusive Bits includes some of the ‘new’ artists we’ve previously heralded such as Aaron Jerome, Jamie Finlay and Max Cole.

These three young thrusters are represented in the ‘exclusives’ section. So what of those ‘Underground Hits’?

From New York to Bergen (but mostly UK), the 15 tracks showcase how far the lable has developed since the release of Espen Horne’s ‘Magentica’. This was one side of the first “in an occasional series” of 7 inchers that grew out of the Wah Wah club sessions at the Jazz Café in 1999. And now look where the label is, loads of new artists with loads of forcoming releases.

Easylifenaturals’ ‘Grasshopper’ is a good choice of opener with it’s ‘All Aboard’ train hoot remixed by Natural-Self. And one wonders if it was down to the persuasive Mr. Servini that Alice Russell added her soulful voice to Natural-Self’s ‘I Don’t Need This Trouble’? In any case, she is to be found on this CD on ‘Don’t You Worry’ — very Tru-thoughts funky and 4-Hero like.

Onto the exclusives, Mr. ‘Soulblender’ Jerome plays the funky keys on the newey, ‘Wonderlust’ in a Stevie head-bounce kinda way; a case of less is more 70s. If you missed the ‘Wonder’ reference there, Rosie Brown is another new name to me and gets two bites of the cherry, ‘Bliss’ and ‘Burning Orange’. Both have been out before. Perhaps too ahead of their time? Now they’re sounding like a female thing in a folktronica D&B soul mode with a jazzy bass. It’ll be interesting to see if ‘Bliss’ can make it out of the underground and onto some serious commercial radio playlists. Recorded in Cornwall, ‘Wonderland’ by Rob Mullender is another leftfield contempory piano and acoustic guitar folky tune in a samba shuffle that evokes the setting sun on the waves of surfer on the north shores.

Talc have got their tongues firmly in their cheeks. ‘Please, Please Me’ is the only song that’s ever going to mention Natasha Koplinski in the lyrics surely.

When you think Alision Crokett’s ‘Alive’ was released as 12”: ‘001’ a little over 2 years ago, it’s a more than impressive compilation. And from the list of artists, it’s self evident that Wah Wah 45’s support of the underground is so strong, it’s structural. It just shows what a solid CD this is and a great (re)introduction to old and new.

To check out the CD launch party, Wah Wah Live is being held at Cargo on Friday, 24th March 2006 with Talc, Belleruche and Rosie Brown with special guest DJ Capstone and residents and label supremos DJs Dom Servini and Simon Goss. Totally Wah Wah!

Reviewed: Various — Underground Hits And Exclusive Bits! (Wah Wah 45s) Cat. No. WAHCD001 Release date. 27th Mar 2006. Credits: Compiled By - Dom Servin / Simon Goss
Notes: Previously Unreleased: 2, 5, 9, 11, 13 First Time on CD: 4, 6, 15

Tracklisting:
1 Easylifenatural - Grasshopper (Nostalgia 77 Remix) (4:26) Featuring - Erik Sumo
2 Max Cole - Ay Calor! (4:32)
3 Espen Horne - Magnetica (3:51)
4 12th Floor - Take It Back (4:38)
5 Aaron Jerome - Wonderlust (5:16)
6 Beleruche - Bird Mess (4:02)
7 Rosie Brown - Bliss (3:58)
8 Alison Crockett - Like Rain (5:24)
9 Rob Mullender - Wonderland (3:56)
10 Unforscene Don’t You Worry (6:05) Vocals - Alice Russell
11 Talc - Please Please Me (3:31)
12 Rosie Brown - Burning Orange (5:56)
13 Jamie Finlay - Make It So (3:19) Vocals - Corine Drewery
14 Alison Crockett - Alive (8:09)
15 Capstone - I Don’t Know (Aaron Jerome Remix) (6:31)

Links:
www.wahwah45s.com and at If Music.
www.cargo-london.com
www.rosiebrown.com
www.unforscene.co.uk
www.myspace.com/jamiefinlay
www.soulblender.co.uk