The Juan Maclean – Everybody Get Close (2011) [DFA] // Grade: B

Back in the early 2000’s, when DFA Records started, it was an interesting little beast.  A dance label founded by two members of the indie rock/post hardcore scene, the first few singles were almost charming in their ignorance. These were dance tracks made purely out of love, with absolutely no idea how to build rhythms that will keep people on a dancefloor. Out of all the early singles, the first two Juan Maclean singles were perhaps the strangest. “By the Time I Get to Venus” was an odd little vocoder number, not unlike a Daniel Wang track, but also entire not like one at the same time. “Give Me Every Little Thing” could have been released on Ze in 1979, with its fuzzy track and loose New York vocals.  Only “Give Me Every Little Thing,” a brash electroclash anthem caned by DJ Hell, gave any hint as to how good John Maclean was getting at making rhythms that make the body move.

Now that he’s been at it for a decade, most of that naive charm is long gone.  Instead, former Six Finger Satellite guitarist John Maclean makes it evident where his influences lie.  As a retrospective,  Everybody Get Close is like a journey in the genesis of a Chicago styled house musician. It is obvious in every drumclap and 303 squelch. Consisting of material that dates as early as when Maclean was working on The Future is Now, this new compilation of b-sides and remixes doesn’t hold together well as an album, but that never detracts from the fact that these are some heavy heavy dance tracks. “X-2” is actually so dank and moody that it could pass for an Eddie “Flashin” Fowlkes track from his Tresor years. These tracks also show that Maclean works better when he is being an acid purist.  As the pop dance of a track like the Cut Copy remix of “Happy House” doesn’t really contribute anything to the overall appeal of this album. This reviewers advice?; save that shit for a car commercial and make enough money to buy some vintage equipment – so your next LP will be house as fuck!

Regardless, it is amazing to think of how far DFA has gone in a mere decade, and this album is a decent enough portrait of the maturation of a label and its sound.

- Nattymari