Chilled Classics

As rave’s origins recede into the past, Pete Tong is determined to ensure that the culture ages gracefully. In 2016, he teamed up with The Heritage Orchestra (HERO) on Classic House, creating orchestral reinterpretations of hallowed hits by Moby, Derrick May, and Frankie Knuckles. The following year’s Pete Tong Ibiza Classics extended the conceit to The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, and Booka Shade while folding in guest singers both contemporary and iconic. They have another go on Chilled Classics, this time easing off the throttle and exploring the deeper, moodier end of their repertoire. The bluesy chords of St Germain’s “Rose Rouge” are a natural fit, and the appearance of Chicago house vocalist Robert Owens lends the song a double sense of déjà vu; Fish Go Deep’s UK funky staple “The Cure & the Cause” is a less obvious pick, but the pizzicato strings prove remarkably well-suited to its stabbing melody, while Sinead Harnett’s vocal take rivals the soulfulness of the original. Most surprising of all is a half-speed version of Underworld’s “Born Slippy” featuring grime king Wiley dropping original bars over those iconic chords. It’s a proper lighters-in-the-air moment—proof, despite the “chilled” concept, that Tong and HERO aren’t afraid to bring a little heat.