I think I have mentioned Chocolate Puma about four times in my 3 month old blog: their Osunlade - "Envision" remix, their remix of X-Press 2's "In the Blood," their production and remix of Ben Westbeech's "Same Thing" and their collaboration with fellow Dutchman Gregor Salto called "Tragito De Ron." Suffice to say, I love them to bits! I even asked them on Twitter to adopt me! They said yes as long as I could make them sandwiches and bring them beers in exchange for allowing me to watch them produce! Haha!
Rene ter Horst and Gaston Steenkist go by a number of aliases, some of which are DJ Zki & Dobre, The Good Men, Jark Prongo, Riva, Rhythmkillaz, Fresh Tunes. They often bring a signature Dutch sound to their records, which are usually bass and/or drum heavy.
I want to share with you some of my favorite Chocolate Puma tracks. Just from these you can get an appreciation for how truly talented they are. Along with being talented, they are also humble and kind. I have seen them (through Twitter) defend acts that once were obscure and now are popular (and therefore are subject to scrutiny). They have been making dance music for decades, and instead of being bitter (like some old school producers!), they embrace the changes over the years and consistently put out music that fits with the times yet stands out among the rest.
This was released on Fresh Fruit Records under their alias Fresh Tunes. It came out in 1992 (I was 11!) and I remember it like yesterday. Do you know what I mean?
That same year, under the alias The Good Men, also on Fresh Fruit Records. came out what could possibly be deemed their biggest track: Give It Up. It makes you feel like you are at Brazil's Carnaval!
If they gave up with "Give It Up" it would still have left such a legacy for them. What a track! They decided to give it an update last year, and released it on Defected, a label they now contribute to quite a bit.
In 1995, they abandoned Fresh Fruit and started Pssst Music. Off of Pssst Music, they released Rocket Base under the alias Jark Prongo in 2000.
The following year, they released Stringer, under the alias Riva.
Back in 2001, I remember hearing Stringer before hearing Dannii Minogue's "Who Do You Love Now" which is basically Stringer with her vocals over it. My assumption was that someone from her camp heard Stringer and approached Riva to use it, but I don't actually know the real story. It became her biggest single to date. Who would have thought she would go on to be a judge on X-Factor and have an affair with Simon Cowell! Side note: I was really obsessed with Formula One during that time, and my favorite driver, Jacques Villeneuve was dating Dannii Minogue (Kylie's younger sister), so I used to watch this video over and over! Haha!
Finally, the first time I heard them as Chocolate Puma, it was through their track "Always & Forever" in 2005. I actually thought the vocalist seen in the video was Chocolate Puma...oops!
Sadly, I never made the connection between all their aliases until about two years ago. Here I was thinking all these tracks were made my separate artists when all the while they were made by the uber talented Rene et Gaston. Even that alias made me think they were French! Haha!
They recently collaborated with fellow Dutchmen Firebeatz to create "Just One More Time Baby" which is forthcoming on Dutch label Spinnin' Records.
Off their label, Pssst Music comes an acid track that will knock your socks off.
Spread the love, share the works of these guys, and delve into more of their back catalogue. You won't be disappointed!
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