Joey Kay - A Chicago Retrospective 1990 -2012: The Heart & Soul 2LP - Skylax

Following the success of its first release by the ever-elusive Jason Grove, the vinyl-only sub-label Skylax Extra Series returns with a little something beyond special. For those house-heads in the know, the man needs no introduction, but for those uninitiated, sit back and prepare for this double 12” selection to further your education in house music.

Joey Kay hails from Chicago in the US and has influenced a great many producers in the last two decades with his signature take on the deep house sound. He keeps things simple in the best possible sense of the word, stripping backtracks to their bare essentials in order to maintain what the spirit of house music is all about: the groove, the soul and the feeling of being carefree, even if only experienced for a few minutes at a time. There are no superfluous or ancillary sounds in Joey’s music and this is all the more evident when taking a step back and listening to his spectrum of output in this collection, which spans more than twenty years of his career. 

The first part of this retrospective takes us way back to the early 90s, whilst the second is a taste of Joey’s work from the last decade. ‘Music’s Hypnotizing’ is the first of two tracks from 1990 on this release and that familiar organ stab is a fine example of a sound Joey used way before it made its way to mainstream circles. ‘Deep Seat’ follows this theme of foresight throughout Joey’s early music, with deep pad sounds and tight, though stuttered drum patterns that are evocative of late east coast US garage and early UK garage. However, 1991 was the year the track was conceived by Joey, making it all the more impressive how forward-thinking his music was behind the scenes in the early 90s, on a global level. On the B-side, tracks like ‘Intersect’ and ‘Les Grandes’ solidify the idea that Joey keeps things really simple and that he does not like to push things over the edge with too many unnecessary sounds. 

There is no forced evolution in his music, nothing contrived to the point where the latter half of a track feels totally different to what came before. It’s natural with Joey, which is why these timeless tracks are perfect for any house music aficionado’s collection.

The C and D sides show how an artist’s music can change and evolve over twenty years but still keep true to their roots and be instantly recognizable as ‘their’ sound. ‘Just Drop It’ portrays the mid-00s well when house producers began using techier sounds but still wanted to remain funky and jazzy. ‘Blackout’ is the full realization of this, with techy stabs, pulsing bass lines, and airy chords. Of all the tracks on the second disc, ‘Darkness Turns To Light’ is perhaps the one that will speak to the newer house-loving generation most. Being made in 2012, it encapsulates the darker, more melancholic vibe that became apparent in deep house music at the time. 

These words only scratch the surface of Joey Kay’s importance to a lot of people in the scene at the moment so, needless to say, this timeless record is a must purchase for all collectors and DJs out there.