Plastic Dreams
"Plastic Dreams" is a 1992 song recorded by Dutch dance producer Jaydee. It was the artist's debut single and remains generally considered to be one of the classics of the house music genre (initially released on R&S Records). It was successful in European countries and also achieved success in the U.S, where it topped the Billboard charts in two different categories. American music critic Robert Christgau named it the best single of 1993 in his year-end list for the Pazz & Jop critics poll.
Song information
The song, an instrumental, features a prominent Hammond organ style synthesizer melody played in a jazzy, improvised manner. With some versions ten minutes long, the number is known for giving dancers a good aerobic workout.
In 1993, "Plastic Dreams" hit number-one on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The song continues to be remixed and re-released today by many artists, such as David Morales, mostly on unsolicited White labels. The track has made the British charts on more than one occasion, first in September 1997 when it reached number 18 and again in January 2004 when it reached number 35. In 1993, Epic Records (owned by Sony Music Entertainment) featured the song on the first edition of the compilation "Welcome to the Future". Shortly after, Epic Records negotiated the acquisition of most rights associated with the song.
Plastic Dreams (album)
Plastic Dreams is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet, augmented by a brass section on three tracks, recorded in 1971 and released on the Atlantic label.
Reception
At the time of its original release the Gramophone reviewer stated "Plastic Dreams" is an auspicious release for it lacks much of the pretentiousness which I have learned to dread ever since I first saw the Quartet in Paris in 1956".
The Allmusic review stated "Plastic Dreams has never been a critic's favorite, and was an album that mystified many of the group's longtime followers... Plastic Dreams was as close as the MJQ ever got to making a pop album... Indeed, as a whole Plastic Dreams does seem like a final refinement of several idealistic threads found throughout the MJQ's studio work stretching back to about 1960, with generous room made for new directions".
Track listing
All compositions by John Lewis except as indicated
SL2
SL2 may refer to:
SL2 (group)
SL2 are an English breakbeat hardcore group active in the early 1990s from London, England. They also recorded, remixed or produced under the names Slipmatt & Lime and T.H.C.
Background
"Starting out as a group of three, SL2 was originally a coming together of DJ's Matt "Slipmatt" Nelson, John "Lime" Fernandez and rap vocalist Jason "Jay-J" James. The SL2 name came from the founders initials - Slipmatt (S) and Lime (L), and as they were a duo - hence "SL2".
Underground
As youngsters in 80s Britain, they were very much into the hip hop scene before having their heads turned by the growing rave scene.
Their big break came in 1989 through Slipmatt's older brother, who was running the now legendary party-promoting organisation Raindance, they became the enterprise's resident DJs, playing parties all over the United Kingdom.
A year into touring with Raindance, SL2 released their debut single, "Do That Dance," through B-Ware Records which sold well to fans of the rave scene. Allegedly, the practices of the record label prevented the band from ever seeing any money. Subsequently, SL2 set up their own Awesome Records label, through which they first released another single, "DJ's Take Control". The record sold 3500 copies, attracting the attention of new dance label XL Recordings.
Silver Line (MBTA)
The Silver Line is the bus rapid transit (BRT) system of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). It currently operates four routes in two sections that were built in separate phases.
The first section has two routes from Dudley Square in Roxbury, mostly via Washington Street, to Boston's Downtown Crossing (SL5) and South Station (SL4), using articulated buses operating in reserved lanes. The second section runs from South Station Under to South Boston (SL2) and to Logan Airport in East Boston (SL1). It runs dual-mode buses, partly in a dedicated bus tunnel and partly on shared roadway, including surface streets, the Ted Williams Tunnel, and airport roads. Riders can transfer between the sections and to other lines at South Station; transfers there between SL1, SL2, and the Red Line—but not SL4—are within fare control. At South Station, however, a transfer from SL1, SL2, and the Red Line to SL4 (and vice versa) can be made by walking alongside streets.
Speed and schedule performance have disappointed some transit advocates and the Silver Line routes fall far short of the minimum BRT Standard promulgated by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). Some sections have an exclusive right-of-way, but other sections are bogged down by street running in congested mixed traffic. As of September 2014, a contract has been awarded for the first phase of an extension to Chelsea, Massachusetts, largely in reserved right-of-way; other extensions of the Silver Line are being studied as well.
