James ‘Harri‘ Harrigan is a legendary, Scottish DJ, based in Glasgow. With the help of his partner, Domenic Cappello — there always has to be someone with an Italian last name when Glasgow’s involved; my Glaswegian mother will attest to that — and compatriots like Slam (Orde Meikle and Stuart McMillan), as well as producers such as Kevin McKay, Fresh And Low and Deep Sensation, Glasgow was placed very prolifically on the deep house and techno map. These gents above, and others, blurred the lines between house, garage and techno and the quality of DJing, releases and remixes was kept at a serious high. This mix by Harri is proof of that.

I was born in Glasgow, my mother is a native of the city, and a significant number of my kin still reside there, so I felt a certain sense of pride when I saw that the city’s Sub Club was held in such high esteem by DJs from all over the world, especially by American DJs. Like many pasty types from the rainy isles, these folks, and myself, lived for the shrink-wrapped platters that would make their way across the Atlantic to said isles, where their edges would be ceremoniously wiped back and forth across a trousered thigh — to heat up the shrink wrap so it could be cracked open cleanly. The discs would then be placed on a turntable and much grinning would ensue.

Harri came out to San Francisco in ’97, when I had just started working at Amoeba, and he told me before he left that he had never been walked around such a hilly city at such speed in his life. I’ll admit I do like to walk fast, because the time spent getting from A and B is always decreased. I know that’s what cars are for, but I enjoyed the exercise though Harri wasn’t too thrilled about it. Nevertheless, this is an ace mix and you should hunt it down and give it a wee listen. It’s rather good.

Harri
Subculture
BMG/UK/CD
Noted by Carl Craig, Derrick May, Kerri Chandler and Roger Sanchez as one of the best — if not the best — clubs they have ever played in, Glasgow’s Sub Club has been a strong feature of British club life since the mid ’80s. Sub Club resident Harri gets the opportunity to show the world what this club is all about with this fourteen-track, creatively mixed selection of top house tunes.

Harri’s style is simply mesmerizing, focusing on the deeper end of things, but never losing sight of the need to keep the floor moving. He dips and weaves through classics, Ray Castoldi’s “The Solo,” Camacho’s (RIP) new house manifesto, “Renegade,” Deep Sensation’s mix of Deep Down by Robinson Wall Project, and KC Flight’s “Let’s Get Jazzy.” The mixes run, really trance the hell out of you and make this more of a sound journey than just a mere mix CD. Get your hands on a copy and prepare for an engaging mix of what house should really be about from a DJ who has been around long enough to give the wide screen version of deep house. Absolutely wicked. Chris Orr