Late Nite Tuff Guy, or LNTG as he seems to prefer, is the current name du jour for one Cam Bianchetti. Bianchetti used to play big on the Australian techno scene as one HMC, but as LNTG his thing is less techno, more disco. With over a million plays on his Soundcloud account Bianchetti appears to be a little bit masterful when it comes to crafting sly disco edits.
All three edits here are of well know tracks. First up is Bless The Rains, a smooth take on Toto's classic track Africa. LNTG's talent is in massaging the subtler elements of these tracks into deeper disco cuts and that's clearly evident here - Toto's classic key refrain gently bubbles through the surface mid-way through the second-minute but there's a good chance that most listeners would be four-minutes in before they recognise anything. There's nothing bashful about this though - the verse, vocal hook and chorus are all present and correct, and gloriously celebrated.
Next up is My Body's On Fire, a Janet Jackson edit that's both tighter and sexier than Toto (quelle surprise!). LNTG licks the track into a looped groove that opens up with a hot sensuality. There's an undeniable sunny Mediterranean yacht vibe to LNTG's edits and this one is perfect for the moment after the sun has dipped behind the horizon.
The final track is an edit of Michael McDonald's I Keep Forgetting, here entitled Not In Love Anymore. Most will know the hook from Warren G & Nate Dogg's Regulate but it's an undeniable yacht rock classic in its own right. LNTG plays with the interplay between keys and guitars, layering in McDonald's vocal to create a moody, tense yet funky version.
Together here in one package Tuff Cut 01 feels a little obvious, but these cuts aren't really meant to be consumed like this, in one sitting. Dropped into the middle or end of a set these are tent-pole moments, and Bianchetti does a good job at massaging them into tracks that would sit within a more rounded disco set. The music may be a little campy, but the edits skills certainly aren't. Now when can we expect an edit of All Night Long?
Tuff Cut 01 is released through Tuff Cut on Monday.