Sound Division: Cat. # SD0152
Released April 2006
Track List:
A1: Sweetest Taboo (StoneBridge Future Retro Mix)
(8:04)
B1: Sweetest Taboo ( Neil Nuff Club Vocal Mix)
B2: Sweetest Taboo (Robbie Rivera’s Juicylectro Mix)
(2010 Update:
So this apparently was just a one-off, as 'Stephanie B' was never heard from again, and this track never had much impact past the year it was released (although it did appear on a 5 Years Of Armada compilation, oddly enough). This review is perhaps a bit more significant for your's truly, as it inspired a rather spirited discussion over what is/isn't electro with some of the readers of TC. All because I refused to call Rivera's shit mix 'electro'. I think I technically won that arguement, mainly because the accuser apparently had never heard proper electro in the first place. It wasn't enough to claim victory over the long war, sadly.)
IN BRIEF: Sweet as Sade.
Sweetest Taboo was originally performed by 80s R&B/jazz outfit Sade, whom often made dreamy ballads that grew very popular with adult contemporary crowds. Fast forward twenty years later, and the chill-out single has been tapped to be covered by a new gal on the block, Stephanie B, for all your current clubbing needs. While this particular copy of Sweetest Taboo was released on Italian label Sound Division, the original is from Swedish producer Sten Hallström’s - aka StoneBridge - own Stoney Boy Music, a sub-label of Armada Music (founded by some guy named Armin van Buuren -perhaps you’ve heard of him?). With practically no info around as to who Stephanie B is even on the almighty Google, my best guess is she’s a vocal piece for Sten to make this radio-friendly, glossy house cover.
I’ll get this out of the way right off the bat, as I’m sure it’s the foremost question already in our readers’ heads. Stephanie B does a competent job in filling in Sade Adu’s soulful prowess. Although not straying in any significant way to give it her own unique spin, neither does Steph attempt to outdo the original, which is probably a smart idea considering Sade was a very smooth singer. Where Sweetest Taboo will ultimately fail or succeed then, is in how good the new house versions are treated.
Sten’s own Future Retro Mix is aptly titled. The production on it is quite shiny, with plenty of little dubby effects sprinkled about. It’s the main synth hook that distinguishes this mix though. Nice and smooth, they glitter while complementing Steph’s singing. However, the actual melody they play has a tendency to conjure up the more decadent disco days or yore, giving the mix a more retro feel than the sounds on display would normally indicate. Fortunately, it doesn’t get too bogged down in nostalgic feelings, allowing the mix to still remain firmly in the present. It’s a very nice bit of house music for the more soulful, classy minded.
Neil Nuff’s club mix is a much different beast. Opting for the funk rather than the soul, he lays the beats on thicker and adds a juicy bit of acidy bass. Along the way, he adds some distorted guitar licks for some punch, but wisely keeps them as merely an additional layer of bassy sound rather than a main feature. However, Steph’s lyrics aren’t given much to do here as Nuff seems more interested in the music doing the work. It’s decent enough dancefloor fodder, though probably works better in a warm-up environment than peak-time hours.
Finally, there’s the Juicylectro Mix from Robbie Rivera, an individual who’s been around the house scene for over a decade now. It comes with great disappoint that his mix of Sweetest Taboo is a lackluster affair into tech-house territory. He moves all of Steph’s vocals to the beginning (after your complementary intro beats, natch), having them play in a minor breakdown with a single synth note and filtered beats playing in the background. Once he brings the rhythm back, the beats just bob along with no passion. Complicating matters is the additional hooks he makes use of: they are anything but ‘hooky’, and suck the life out of the mix. There’s no funk, no soul, no nothing. Just useless bleeps droning along to boring rhythm. By the time things finally get interesting again, the song’s basically over as we’re already on our complementary outro beats. Such a waste of a mix.
Still, the other two are fine enough for the house-heads; Sten’s own mix may be strong enough to give Stephanie B some shelf-life for the near future. Sade’s Sweetest Taboo may not have needed a house cover but it’s done nicely enough here to satisfy the current generation of clubbers.
Score: 6/10
Written by Sykonee. Originally published 2006 for TranceCritic.com. © All rights reserved.
