:: First Contact

Roger Sanchez

Timing can be all important in the success or otherwise of an artist. It may take years for music projects to get off the ground, or one can be an instant success. Roger Sanchez is an interesting story. He has been one of the world’s biggest names in producing, remixing and Djing, working with many influential people in the business. When saying that this album has been worth the wait, it’s worth noting that it has been three years since “First Contact” was scheduled for release. It has been ten years since he first released a single and twenty years since he spun his first DJ set. Now, a first album. Roger definitely wanted to get this one right. And, he does achieve it well. Much hard labour has obviously gone into this nine-track album, and there are many thank you acknowledgments in the CD sleeve notes. In creating some wonderful sounds filled with Latin-tinged, glossy instrumentals, he can certainly especially thank his guest vocalists like Sharleen Spiteri and N’Dea Davenport who add their inspirational vocal talent. With a background deep in musical language, Roger Sanchez shows his influences off – a little salsa, hip-hop, and blues – by providing an interesting musical journey, hence the five minute minimum for each track. We’d already heard the brilliant “Another Chance”, a sample from Toto’s “I Won’t Hold You Back”. The other tracks all please in their own way. That Latin attribute is shown on “The Partee”, and an electronic foray shows in “Computabank”. It’s more pleasing than spectacular. Perhaps a remix CD is his best bet eventually.