Rick Wilhite
Analog Aquarium
Legendary Detroit house producer Rick “The Godson” Wilhite is releasing his debut album Analog Aquarium on the Chicago-based Still Music imprint. The veteran DJ and producer with staggering credentials (The Godson, DOC, Tech-12, and Working Mixx) has been working in the background for almost two decades, but never released an actual full-length album. Maybe not as lauded as his 3 Chairs cohorts and heavyweights Theo Parrish and Kenny “Moodymann” Dixon Jr, but still an authority in Detroit’s house of fame. Analog Aquarium features new productions from Wilhite, and has guest appearances from some of Wilhite’s usual Collaborators, including Parrish, Malik Pittman and Osunlade, plus Detroit-based vocalist Billy Love. The title of the record reflects that the whole production is analogue. It’s all keyboards, drum sets, hand claps and beat boxing; pretty much any analog equipment imaginable.
It starts off with “Blame It On The Boogie,” a deep soulful vocal House track in collaboration with Osunlade, Theo Parrish and Billy Love. It’s referencing the Jackson 5 and longing for the California sun. It’s eight minutes of timeless bliss with an oldskool repeating groove and boogie basslines, and it’s not hard to hear Osunlade between the lines. The next cut, “Dark Walking”, explore Deep House with ambient synths and sharp handclaps. It’s followed by “Muzic Gonna Save The World,” a weird psychedelic and slightly silly lo-fi House jam. “Sunshine Pt. 2” is in the mood of Moodymann with a 4/4 beat, rolling percussion and Rick chanting “Sunshine,” before transforming into minimal territory. “Deep Horizons” starts with up-tempo percussion and a soulful groove, but the whole track seems to be built on an endlessly repeating groove, before fading out. “In The Rain,” features Billy Love again, and the track could’ve been Peven Everett produced by Theo Parrish; soulful distorted boogie vibes. “Cosmic Jungle” is a unique track on this album; it’s techy with a deep groove, moving beyond the soulful grooves and into ice cold space.
The opening track is so strong that it’s hard to follow up throughout the album, it becomes the reference point. Analog Aquarium is for deep house enthusiasts with an affixation for endless grooves, and most tracks last between 7-9 minutes. It sounds dated instead of timeless. Dance music shouldn’t be about digital vs. analogue. He stays true to himself and doesn’t follow fashions, but I thought techno was meant to be futuristic.
good