Chicago

There's no way around it: the A-side of Henrik Schwarz's second 12" for Mood Music is a blatant Moodymann rip-off, in a "he wasn't even trying to hide it" sort of way. "Chicago" has every single element found in most Moodymann productions dating between 1996 and 1999. Introduced with an uneasy, nocturnal keyboard drone that runs alone for over two minutes, the track settles into a weathered-but-not-worn 4/4 rhythm, with thumping bass drums joined by light hand percussion. Like his inspiration's "Don't Be Misled" and "I Can't Kick This Feeling When It Hits," the track is in no hurry to get anywhere, evidenced through the fashionably late hi-hats and slow developments that take place throughout the course of 12 minutes. It's such a convincing appropriation that only the most devout Moodymann fans won't be tricked. Regardless, it's a staggering track, despite the complete lack of originality. The two B-sides are low-bpm downtempo productions, neither of which are particularly remarkable.