Rdy Schallplatten & CDs

Review: The RDY series of archival material from Ron Hardy's clearly sizeable collection of Music Box ready edits reaches its seventh edition sporting a delightfully dusty take on the classic soul classic "Love & Happiness". Recently covered to great effect by Legowelt under his House Of Jezebel moniker for Rush Hour, Hardy's uncovered re-edit matches Wolfers in the potency stakes though it's even more notable for deftly switching between vocals from the Al Green and First Choice versions. Flipside and there's a funked up version of "Flamethrower" from Massachusetts blues rock troupe The J Geils Band which really works the moog solo, whilst there's another Hardy rarity to end proceedings with a smudgy take on Streetlife's "Tearin Down the Walls".

Review: Thirteen is unlucky for some, but that's not the case when it comes to the hugely popular RDY label which digs through the vast archives of Muzic Box favourites pioneered by the legend that was Ron Hardy for a thirteenth time. On the A Side is a classic example of Ron's style, extending the intro to "Adventure" by The Dells into 8 minutes of blissful disco excellence, whilst the take on "Love Surge" embellishes the electronic nuances of Jules Shear's mid 80s synth pop curio. House heads will be all over the final cut, a "Untitled" production/edit Hardy collaborated with fellow Chi-town House pioneer Jesse Saunders which has box jam brilliance written into it's DNA.

Review: And so Ron Hardy's bottomless vault continues to deliver. It's a tale of two Rons too; Side A is all about Ron as an editor as Blue Magic's 1974 soul disco classic "Welcome To The Club" gets a mighty extension with a drawn out groove and added emphasis on the majestic keys. Flip for Hardy's darker, proto-house side as we're introduced to two massive slabs of rhythmic naughtiness. "It's House" is based around a tripped out loop that flickers in and out of the groove with great warped effect while "Hardy Drums" lives up to its name in every way. With its rough distorted 808 bass and chop-slapping hi-hats, few records encapsulate the undiluted jacking spirit of house music's earliest days than this.

Review: The seemingly bottomless archives of prime Ron Hardy edits are raided once more for the eleventh plate in the RDY series arriving on the murkiest translucent vinyl we've seen in some time. Hardy's official 1986 remix of "Donnie" from The It sits on the B Side and for those unfamiliar to its intoxicating charms, this makes a welcome opportunity to indulge. It's all about the A Side for us however; Hardy's magical take on "Peaches & Prunes" which is a masterclass in gruff editing, is joined by the crazy "Passion" which sounds like The Flirts classic melted down completely.

Review: 12 years after it first graced record stores, the popular Ron Hardy series of 12" singles showcasing tracks played, made or re-edited by the late, great Chicagoan DJ is still going strong. Volume 45 boasts some genuine gems, too, starting with Jump Street Man's 1987 NYC deep house gem 'B-Cause'. Rich in dreamy chords, memorable piano riffs and classic early house drums, it's one of the most loved-up club tracks ever made. Elsewhere, it's proper Windy City acid all the way, as Scrappy's funky, mind-mangling 'Freeze' is followed by an extended, double-length re-edit of Nimrod's 1988 jam 'Acid Haze'. We suspect this may be Hardy's own version, rescued from a reel-to-reel tape, but the label doesn't explicitly say that.