Limited UK import pressing of a rare Detroit beatdown jewel. Originally released in 2005 on short-lived but sweet West End deep house sublabel West End Blue, original copies of Fly Away grew to be increasingly scarce after appearing in sets by Blaze, Floating Points, Rick Wilhite and DJ Qu. The four tracks contained within feature a revolving cast of Detroit musicians, but singer Billy Love (who released the excellent Theo Parrish-produced Melloghettomental EP on Sound Signature in 2010) seems to be the only permanent member of The Kings Of Late Night. Theo’s cosmic mix of “Illumination” (is it even a remix if an ‘original mix’ doesn’t exist?) makes this record an instant cop, but it’s not even the best track; that spot is reserved for the West End Blue Mix of “Fly Away”: nearly 9 minutes of stepping deep house with jazzy guitar and rhodes licks waltzing beneath Love’s soulful vocal, while the West End Lounge Mix is an equally potent low-key alternative, stripped of the banging kick drums and perfect for transitioning between intimate R&B and house. An edit of “Fly Away” by Sherard Ingram (Urban Tribe, DJ Stingray) appears in the form of “I Wonder Why” on the Three Chairs 3 LP, but we much prefer the two versions on this plate, produced by Norm Talley. Recommended.

• limited edition
• import pressing
• music label: West End Blue 2017

reviewed by peanut dust 07/2017