House music covers a multitude of sounds, not to mention sins, but Masters at Work, aka Louie Vega and Kenny Gonzalez, remain synonymous with the term all the same. Coming together in late-80s New York, the pair fused local styles including hip-hop and Latino pop with the dancefloor sound that was born in the US but had exploded in Europe. This collection pulls together 40 tracks from 25 years of collaboration. The “ballsy mix” of The Nervous Track by Nuyorican Soul (another Vega/Gonzalez partnership that incorporated live instrumentation) is a perfect example of the form: a simple, swinging bassline rides alongside a looped jazzy drum pattern; on top is a short, sweet piano hook that holds it all together. That’s it, but within those ingredients are not only references to different styles and moments in history but also an irrefutable injunction to dance. Most of the tracks here are remixes, which allows for some interesting and unlikely combinations, with the gaelic raps of Afro Celt Sound System, for example, or the refined London pop of Saint Etienne. Without fail, Vega and Gonzalez pull it off. Masters indeed.
