(Pschent/Creative Vibes)

“Lavish habits, lavish ways, lavish evenings into lavish days. Lavish ladies, with lavish men, on lavish outings with their lavish men…” I’m one track into Shillings’ sixth mix in his Overground House’ series when that little number kicks in. Quite an apt choice of track for a DJ who purportedly hob nobs with the likes of Lagerfeld, Armani and Vuitton. Yes, we’re talking fashion, not music, here. The track itself (Lavish) was produced by The Theme, and it’s a decadent tech house number that almost seems almost produced to play at the aforementioned designers’ fashion shows.

Schillings is one of a fortunate breed of DJ who has managed to take his vinyl habit beyond the realms of ‘making ends meet’ to find himself still spinning at a swag sought-after gigs and events. He also produces and releases on leftist electro label Pschent, on which he has released all six Overground House compilations.

The mix is solid, classy but just a tad unfocused for my liking. Shillings throws his fair share of electronica names du jour into the mix, the album’s tracklisting reading like a veritable ‘who’s who’ of serious house production. Glimmer Twins V’s Ray Mang give us a funked up atmospheric dancefloor killer in UFO is Coming, while the Chicken Lips remix of Triangle Orchestra’s @137 has the brooding basslines and shimmering synths you’ve come to expect from the English duo. 

Later on in the piece things slow down a little, the album producing some supremely smooth downbeat numbers by the likes of Fumi ’s – Straight No Filter (remixed by Only Child) – and Lindstrom’s Limitations. The latter’s track is an eighties atmospheric funk jam bought into the now with post-millennial effects. Soundcheck Will Powers – Adventures in Success for an eighties reference point.

Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band round things up with their organ-driven acid jazz track Casino. It’s the kind of song you can’t help but bop along with, wishing you’d been around when cool cats like Donald Byrd and Herbie Hancock were in their heyday.

As a collection of tracks, Overground House shows off the discerning taste that’s made Schillings such a respected DJ and producer. As a CD with a mission, however, I can’t help feeling this mix is trying to be too many things to too many people.