- This proto-house classic gets a well-timed, long overdue reissue.
- Richie Weeks is one of disco's unsung heroes. The New York producer, singer, songwriter and musician was a hit machine in the '80s, working with heavyweight producer Patrick Adams, funk band The Jammers and his own ensemble Weeks & Co to produce chart-toppers for Atlantic Records, Salsoul and Prelude. Tracks like "Rock Your World" were rinsed at Paradise Garage and Studio 54 (where Weeks would also often perform live). Starting his career in the late '70s, when disco's light was beginning to dim, the Bronx-born artist helped take the genre into a new "post-disco" era by folding analogue synths and drum machines into the mix.
Towards the end of the '80s, Weeks gravitated towards house music, going on to create records like 1988's propulsive, funked-up Out'A The Box. Recorded under the alias Jiraffe, the project ushered disco's spirit into proto-house territory, serving as a mini time capsule of Weeks' ever-evolving artistic practice. The 12-inch's two tracks include a vocal dub and club version; the former, as its title suggests, highlights Weeks' rhythmic vocals ("it's time to party, out of the box"), while the latter amplifies its cleverly crafted instrumentation.
Clocking in at over six minutes each, both versions of "Out'A The Box" possess the stamina and poise to power any room. Their sprawling nature, unapologetically scratchy tone and rumbly pace build up to a serious groove with each minute, mirroring the deep house of Chicago producer Larry Heard, whose seminal "Mystery of Love" came out just three years before. Here, Weeks skips the honeyed arrangements typically found in conventional disco but retains the genre's dominant funk DNA via retro synths and Latin percussion, adding rough-and-ready drums and stacked claps for a tough, no-nonsense attitude. This raw, driving sound reflects the grit and dynamism of New York nightlife at a time when hip-hop and punk street culture crept into dance music.
Indeed, the New York native had an innate sense of what made a bumping track, as a new documentary on his life, Taking Back The Groove, reveals. "Like many Black artists throughout American recording history," text accompanying the film read, "[this is] the story of how [Weeks and Still Music label owner Jerome Derradji] clawed back the rights to Weeks’ music and the ongoing fight to restore his legacy and share his music."
"Out'A The Box" is integral to that legacy. As this sought-after reissue proves, Weeks' records were bold, timeless and adventurous, capturing the fizzing energy of real-life dance floors—and continue to excite them via DJs like Demdike Stare and Rhythm Section affiliate Private Joy. It's about time this certified classic caught its due shine, 36 years on.
トラックリストA1. Out'A The Box (Club Vocal Dub)
A2. Out'A The Box (Crazy Club Dub)