"Motivation H" compiled by DJ Towa Tei is the latest addition to this local DJ's long, international career in dance music. This CD is the eighth in his Motivation series — this one coinciding with the swanky Hotel H parties he began last summer at Fai Aoyama in Tokyo.
But no matter the venue Towa Tei's selections are aimed at the dance floor. Listeners accustomed to clubbing will mentally drift to that environment as Towa Tei selects the bass, rhythm and melodies that form the highs and lows of all-night partying. At the same time he chooses broadly from electro, house and dancehall to satisfy those who just want to hear good music. His own "Milky Way" track begins the CD with uplifting, dreamy female vocals over a downtempo, electro beat. He has a distinct ear for tracks with soulful highs and gritty lows. The 2 Bears' "Mercy Time" exemplifies that with moody, pitch-shifted male vocals and bouncing drum sounds. Building up to the CD's peak is Pepe Bradock's infectious minimal-house thumper "Path of Most Resistance." It perfectly evokes that feeling you get at 4 a.m. after dancing in a dark club all night and start searching for a warm emotional boost in your beats. The climax hits with a percussive electro-house remix of Circles 2009's Mustafa featuring Natalia. The shuffling beat and cascading drums are nearly trance-inducing, and Natalia's sweet voice adds a soulful touch to this gem. Although this compilation is not particularly forward-looking, its strength is in its diversity and groove. Towa Tei effectively takes the mood up and down, while making listeners want to rush for the dance floor.
