From the 1998 EP ‘Pieces of a Paradox’, track A being ‘Dusty Cabinets’.

For me this track epitomises Deep House and I will explain why in a second. However, for many people the name deep house conjures the image of bikini clad models, beach parties and tacky ‘Deep House Summer Mixes’ found on youtube, soundcloud etc. Just type in Deep House on the internet and see for yourself…

Ebonics opens with a pitched down exchange between two African-American men talking about going to the club later that evening. Shortly followed by a sample from ‘The dialect of the black American’ LP, Parrish’ confrontational nature on race is evident right from the start. Contextually the choice of sample is a comment on black dialect itself but I also believe this to personify black expression, be it music, dance and art. Parrish is arguing that black expression is massively important to the growth of the world and should not be ignored. Although being ignored isn’t always the problem, more commonly it’s the blatant theft and reconstruction of certain genres, cultures and ideas. Elvis Presley is a great example of this, the so called ‘King of Rock and Roll’. I’m not denying Elvis’ talent but the fact he was a brandable, white man is a clear indication to why he was given such a pedestal as apposed to Chuck Berry and Little Richard.

Deep House as a genre is a sound quite paradoxical (notice the ep title) to the standard canon of house most people are accustomed to. Words associated with ‘House’ tend to be ‘uplifting, euphoric and otherworldly’, this couldn’t be more different from the deep strain of house music that was coming out of Chicago and Detroit in the late 80s and early 90s. Deep House has nothing to do with sunny beaches and girls in thongs contrary to popular belief. Deep has been coined the appropriate term because it explores the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. While standard house lives in the moment of elation inside the nightclub, deep house is outside, in the queue, dealing with real world problems. When I listen to artists such as Parrish, Moodymann, DJ Sprinkles and Larry Heard, it’s hard not to hear the struggle in their music.

Ebonics trudges along at around 117bpm, relatively slow for a house track you’d hear in the club. The Juno-6 chords create the sombre tone, gliding effortlessly throughout the piece while the hi-hats skip robotically. Depending on which version you listen to, either the standard 12minute version or extended 16minute version both of these mammoth songs keep you captivated and more importantly moving. The majority of Parrish’s work would be lost in a club setting, his minimal sound demands headphone or hi-fi attention, the nooks and crannies of his music are what Parrish fans adore. However ‘Ebonics’ is one track I would not hesitate to play, maybe as the night is slowing down and dancers become more reflective on the night or ‘drugged out’ (in some cases).

Usually produced live, some tracks pick up slight mistakes, clips and distortions which Parrish intentionally leaves in. This is his sound signature. Deep house isn’t pretty…It’s as Kenny Dixon Jr says a ‘product of his environment’. And when your environment is Detroit, well it’s not exactly Florence.