This new compilation from Classic is part of the Classic Through The Eyes Of... series that encourages DJs and producers to out together a mix that gives their own take on the label's respected catalogue.
Up on Classic's latest release is Chicago native but New York resident Honey Dijon. She has recently made something of a name for herself, through releases with Nervous, Skint and DJ Sneak Classics, and by becoming something of a fashion icon. She has recently been selected to provide the soundtrack for fashion shows in New York and London, writes a fashion column and even got a shout out on Absolutely Fabulous:
Honey has been a somewhat regular partner for Classic for some time and as such she moves through the catalogue with a sense of familiarity, pulling out some absolutely classics (small 'c') but blending them into a mix that is distinctive, contemporary and all hers. In the former category we have the SWAG dub of Metro Area's "Piña", a mix of Blaze's brilliant "Lovelee Dae" and another mix of Isolée's defining "Beau Mot Plage". All three tracks say a lot about Classic's best output since they have all been the kind of tracks that make it into a very varied set of DJ boxes.
There are also a number of Honey Dijon remixes worked into the track list and they show off the producer's sound and lend the album a sense of personality, a crisp and clipped sense of funk audible in her style on tracks like "You Don't Know" by DJ Ali featuring Tim Fuller - it feels warm and sweaty. The album's tech-house heart comes through clearly and tracks such as Atlantic Fusion's "Sanctuary" and the album is at its best when it grants it a level of humanity and intimacy. There are moments where it feels too long, too clever and too reserved but on the whole it's a cool celebration of the Classic sound.
Classic Through The Eyes Of: Honey Dijon is out now through Classic, available to buy on MP3 from Amazon.co.uk [affiliate link].