(Subliminal/EMI)

Erick Morillo is considered quite a legend not only within the house realms but in fact the entire scene. His ability to mix across the spectrum of styles and actually make it sound good as well as his past production successes set him apart from the rest. Playing at all the big gigs worldwide as well as being booked for intimate sets at small clubs keep him a very busy man.

Quite surprisingly, Morillo joined many of ID&T’s finest DJ’s and played alongside them at this years Sensation White party in Holland. This is quite a feat considering he is actually a house DJ and those he was playing with were trance and progressive DJ’s. His set was a blinder and the crowd acted accordingly. So, with his debut solo artist album having just been released, there was much hype as to whether Morillo could deliver the goods. After just a single listen, the answer is without a doubt a resounding yes!

This is the voice of Erick Morillo. For the next 70 minutes suspend all thoughts of disbelief, as you are about to enter – My World. A world for your mind, body and soul. Where you will experience an eargasm sensation from my aural penetration. Feel the sounds, vibrations, bliss and ecstasy of my world.

The CD starts off with the above intro and then moves into what I think is ‘the’ tune of the whole album. A very quirky and smart production which sees Morillo team up with his good mates the Audio Bullys - Break Down The Doors. A rocking beat accompanied with the Bully’s trademark vocal action makes for a very kick ass intro tune – what a way to start off an album.

Following a rather random and perhaps unnecessary interlude of the sound of a woman having an orgasm with a voice over of someone saying “Yes, this is my world” is the next tune Happy. Featuring the stunning vocals of DJ Rap, this tune is full of lush and filtered sweeps, light snare percussion and a funky little piano riff. After another interlude skit, What Do You Want feat. Terra Deva is up next and is quite a cheery and lighter toned tune compared to the previous two. Sunshine again features the Audio Bullys and it brings with it that quirky yet rocking Audio Bullys sound.

The tunes are not mixed however they are connected together with short and at times very random interludes which feature Morillo telling jokes with the Audio Bully’s, voice overs and a number of different things. While they do seem unnecessary they do tie the tunes together a lot better than if it was just compiled tune after tune. There are two tunes which feature the vocals of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs (Dance I Said and My World) and although it seems a little weird that a house DJ should team up with a hip-hop/rnb superstar, it actually works quite well and both tunes definitely deserve a mention.

Boy George joins Morillo in the track Who Am I Today which is definitely one of the weirder tunes on the menu. Its theme which seems to be about multiple personalities is reflected in the sounds it utilizes which is clever but overall comes off sounding a little too weird and chaotic for this reviewers ears! Following on from this track comes the final three tracks on the album which all feature the vocal stylings of Miss Shawnee Taylor. Her loud and soulful voice complements the sounds of each of the tunes she is featured on. The final tune Come Make Me Over is the perfect way to end the amazing showcase of production talents Morillo had so eloquently displayed. Definitely one of the better tracks on the album, Morillo could not have picked a better final tune at all.

Whilst many DJ’s struggle to put just one quality release to their name, Morillo has infact put an entire quality album release to his name and personalized it so uniquely with the use of those weird interludes. His clever programming skills ensured that every tune was placed so nicely after the next and his rather weird and way out sense of humour saw the interludes smoothly connect the entire album. With the clever collaboration work with the different featured artists, Morillo ensured a winner of an album as he carefully selected each artist depending on their style to get a perfect match in terms of sound.

If house is your thing, check this out. If house isn’t your thing, you should still check this out. Definitely one of the most quality releases 2004 will see without a doubt!