Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with Strikes Again, a six-track blast of late ’80s acid and house recorded between 1988 and 1990. Unearthed from Mike Dunn’s personal archive, these cuts capture K’Alexi Shelby at his rawest and most immediate.
Shelby’s story runs deep through Chicago’s foundations: mentored early on by Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles, and later releasing on Trax, DJ International and Transmat, alongside collaborations with Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But here, the focus is the floor.
Under the K.A. Posse name, Shelby channels overdriven 808s, slamming 909s, wild percussion and restless breakbeats. ‘Imported Taste’ pairs deep pads with feverish conga rhythms. ‘Suckas Be Ready’ dives into hip-house territory with vocals from MCD-TA, while ‘Muzic Box’ jacks hard, disco samples ricocheting against crunchy drum programming.
Previously reissued by Dark Entries, Shelby’s 1987 debut as Risque III (Essence of a Dream) hinted at his range. Strikes Again locks into the tougher side: urgent, stripped-back, and wired directly to the underground pulse of Chicago.
Shelby’s story runs deep through Chicago’s foundations: mentored early on by Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles, and later releasing on Trax, DJ International and Transmat, alongside collaborations with Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But here, the focus is the floor.
Under the K.A. Posse name, Shelby channels overdriven 808s, slamming 909s, wild percussion and restless breakbeats. ‘Imported Taste’ pairs deep pads with feverish conga rhythms. ‘Suckas Be Ready’ dives into hip-house territory with vocals from MCD-TA, while ‘Muzic Box’ jacks hard, disco samples ricocheting against crunchy drum programming.
Previously reissued by Dark Entries, Shelby’s 1987 debut as Risque III (Essence of a Dream) hinted at his range. Strikes Again locks into the tougher side: urgent, stripped-back, and wired directly to the underground pulse of Chicago.
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