Time To Be Free / Brighter Days by Basil Big Moses: A Tribal House Hammer
Alright, let’s get real here. This 2004 release from Basil Big Moses ain’t your cookie-cutter electronic album. It’s raw, it’s dirty, and it slaps harder than most stuff outta the US that year. Released under King Street Sounds—a label known for keepin’ house music legit—this sucker dives deep into tribal house territory with two tracks that’ll have you losin’ your damn mind on the floor.
First up, “Brighter Days (M.J. Hipno Vocal Beats).” Yo, this track is fire. Like, set-the-club-on-fire fire. The vocal chops hit hard, looped just enough to hypnotize but not bore ya. That bassline? Ridiculous. It grooves so nasty, you can practically feel the DJ smirkin’ behind the booth. I remember hearing this one in some dive bar back in the day, and lemme tell ya, no lie—it turned a sleepy Tuesday night into full-blown chaos. People were movin’, shakin’, losin’ their shit like they forgot rent was due Wednesday. That’s what makes it stick in my head. It’s got soul without tryin’ too hard, y’know?
Then there’s “Time To Be Free (Tribute Mix),” which feels like someone took all the best parts of ‘90s house and gave ‘em a modern twist. The percussion hits like a freight train, relentless as hell, while those synths swirl around like smoke in a packed club. Every time this drops, I swear people start lookin’ at each other like, “Damn, we’re alive right now.” It’s uplifting but gritty, perfect for when you need that push to keep goin’. And yeah, maybe it’s cheesy as fuck to say, but sometimes you just wanna scream freedom—and this track lets you do exactly that.
Look, I ain’t gonna sit here and pretend every second of this album’s gold. Some bits are forgettable, sure. But these two tracks? They’re keepers. When Basil Big Moses teamed up with M.J. Hipno and whoever else had a hand in this madness, they weren’t playin’. You can hear the energy cracklin’ through the speakers, even after nearly twenty years.
So yeah, if you’re diggin’ through crates or scrollin’ Spotify late at night, give this one a spin. Just don’t blame me if you end up dancin’ till your legs give out. Oh, and hey, fun fact: whoever cut the lacquer (shoutout to ds) must’ve been buzzin’ off caffeine or somethin’, ‘cause the sound’s sharp as nails. Now THAT’S dedication.
