Federico Scavo’s “I Do” is tough and soulful, driving and melodious, updating classic Chicago house sounds with a modern sheen. “I Do’s” mix of muscle and soul makes it playable in dark warehouses and mirrorball-lit clubs alike. It’s definitely got commercial appeal.
The track’s elements are minimal – little more than a beat, a bassline, a piano, a vocal, and a few effects. Though its sound is huge, and its relentless drive will keep the dancefloor moving at any time of the night.
Scavo’s years of experience on the dance music scene shine through here: this is an expertly crafted piece of pure house music, designed with both the DJ and the dancefloor in mind.
In the Original Club Mix of “I Do” the stacatto, repeated house piano chords and looped vocal sample hearken back to the old school:
I want everything I do
I wanna make it with you …
Scavo’s been producing house since 1994, both under his own name and under the alias of Miniking. But the infectiously jacking bassline and thumping kick drum would sound at home on any dancefloor today.
The persistent four-to-the-floor beat never stops: during the breakdown, Scavo fades the beat into the background, eventually stripping it down to just the loosely ringing, hissing hi-hats – but it never really disappears. Even as the vocals and piano chords blur into a wash of echoes, the 4/4 beat keeps going.
Although “I Do’s” main elements are stripped-down and straightforward, it’s the subtle, almost unnoticeable touches that make the track. As the bassline rolls and rumbles, jumps and ducks, a percussion part plays along with it, mirroring the bass. The main vocal sample jumps out at you, of course, but there’s a second, indistinct vocal stab buried deep behind it, providing an extra layer. When the main vocal drops out, the stab keeps playing, continuing to drive the track along.
In the past, Scavo’s produced music for the MTV Europe Music Awards broadcast and DJed at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monte Carlo.
His music also has enough edge to work in a harder, more underground house music set.
“I Do” was released on the first volume of Toolroom Records’ Ibiza 2012 compilation, sitting alongside tracks by Robbie Rivera, Todd Terry, and label boss Mark Knight. It’s available both on the aforementioned DJ mix CD and as a single-track digital download.