New Year. Party.

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Masters At Work – Our Time Is Coming
Cutting Edge – CTCR-14186/B
2xCD, Album, Japan, 2002

I took too long to post as always, once again missing my chance to post some favorite Christmas records... Next year, I guess. I hope any of you seeing this got some peace over the holidays. It's almost the new year, so if you have an urgent need for some party music or a way to help ring it in on a positive note, this album might do it for you.

Our Time Is Coming was the second full length album by Kenny Dope and Louie Vega as Masters At Work, released in 2001. Once again, I won't pretend to be any kind of expert on house music, but I'll go out on a limb here and say that anyone who writes this record off as too "mainstream" or "predictable" is either: A. a snob; or B. not paying attention. MAW produced an album that I can put on to convince myself the sun is coming out, even at a late night party or in the Chicago winter. 

On the predictable charge: Look, this is some classic, soulful NYC house music. What are you expecting? It may not be the world's most avant-garde recording, but it's no four on the floor, color by numbers exercise either. The house legends deliver creative surprises along the way: acoustic fretwork by Argentinian guitarist Luis Salinas on Pienso En Ti; MAW Expensive's tribute to Fela Kuti, riffing on Expensive Shit and Upside Down by the afrobeat originator; the funky interlude of Deep & Dirty (that brings the temperature down for the somber and oddly sweet message from "Michelle," telling her story of 9/11 and narrowly avoiding tragedy); several minutes of harmonica solos on the instrumental MAW's Theme.

And as for mainstream: the house legends do wear some pop sensibilities on their sleeves on this one... I just don't see how that's a problem. "Mainstream" in this case means they treat you to vibraphone from the great Roy Ayers on the title track and the disco stormer Backfired with vocals from la India. There are reasons why pop is popular-- and sometimes it's because it's good. MAW hit the mark for me here, equally underground dance music heroes and a modern day Salsoul Orchestra at their disco hit best.

This Japanese release of Our Time Is Coming (released the following year according to Discogs) tacked on MAW's Theme as a bonus track and added a whole second disc with a live mix of material from the album. Put it on the stereo for your New Year's dance party tonight. It includes a couple exclusive bits that are worth your time even if the DJ didn't bail and leave you searching for an emergency fill-in: After opening with the looped Butterfly Break, Like A Butterfly (You Send Me) featuring Patti Austin is stretched here to more than twice the length of its album version.

Enjoy a couple hours of impossibly precise playing and intricate arrangements that can still move the crowd 20 years later. And have a happy new year! I hope it brings everyone some joy, peace and strength.

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Tracklist
1-01 Mr. V
1-02 Like A Butterfly (You Send Me) - feat. Patti Austin
1-03 Backfired - feat. India
1-04 Work - feat. Denise Belfon, Puppah Nas-T
1-05 MAW Expensive (A Tribute To Fela) - feat. Wunmi
1-06 Our Time Is Coming - feat. Roy Ayers
1-07 Lovin'
1-08 Every Now And Then - feat. Billie
1-09 Lean On Me - feat. James Ingram
1-10 Life Is But A Dream - feat. Lynae
1-11 Back In The Day
1-12 Latin Lover - feat. Stephanie Mills
1-13 Pienso En Ti (I Think Of You) - feat. Luis Salinas
1-14 Deep & Dirty
1-15 Michelle's Message
1-16 To Be In Love - feat. India
1-17-1-23 (no audio)
1-24 MAW's Theme

Our Time Is Coming - Mixed Live By "Little Louie" Vega & Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez
2-01 Lood - Intro
2-02 To Be In Love - feat. India
2-03 Butterfly - Break - feat. Patti Austin
2-04 Like A Butterfly (You Send Me) - feat. Patti Austin
2-05 Lean On Me - feat. James Ingram
2-06 Our Time Is Coming - feat. Roy Ayers
2-07 Lisa Interlude
2-08 Every Now And Then - feat. Billie
2-09 Backfired - Break - feat. India
2-10 Backfired - feat. India
2-11 Latin Lover - feat. Stephanie Mills
2-12 MAW Expensive (A Tribute To Fela)
2-13 Work (Tribal Flute Mix) - feat. Denise Belfon, Puppah Nas-T
2-14 Pienso En Ti (I Think Of You) - feat. Luis Salinas
2-15 Life Is But A Dream - feat. Lynae
2-16 MAW's Theme

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Get on up in FLAC (16/44.1kHz, download zip):

https://mega.nz/file/sKJVxKTC#PijQ5Ymqu2kOFp2WG9xRgVCfm5CWeQ6AwzIjrmWL2qw

Get on down in MP3 (320 kbps, download or stream):

https://mega.nz/folder/VSRhyZgQ#UbLm5DGVkT-sdhasLQyJow

(To be clear: very much worth listening to even after New Year's Eve.)

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