another record that comes from my adventures of digging in bargain bins and when i saw a cd single of a joel mull ep called "blue shades system react ep" dating 1996, my interest definitly piqued. from what i gather now it is among the first records that was released under mull's own name. it's a interesting three tracker but it's also one that bears it's date through the sound.
the title track "blue shades" is nice i think the focus should have been a little more on the pads and less on the tr-909 programming. third track "porkman" is a minimal cut with a deep bass that actually works the drummy aestethic to a good extent. for me i could easily hear it be played in a modern set if you work three deck or do layering in traktor and such.
which leaves "warm path" whom is a driving cut that stars with a tom-loop playing the same the portamento as the bassline. it's an effective buildup but when the track gets going, as the bassline gets in full buzz and resonates, it's a beast of it's own. to be honest it sounds a bit trancey but it has to with it's repetitive styling and the sound of some technotrance from the same time.
mull keeps it all very interesting throughout with new segments and sounds making their splash but then being a part of the groove. a tight one to boot also and the track definitly the saving grace on this release and something i could play in my sets any day of the week.
listen here (epitonic)
Thursday 25 April 2013
Wednesday 24 April 2013
filur - you & i (eric s remix)
my memory might fail me but i bought this single up on it's release and but i don't really remember if i had heard "you & i" prior. it was probably a case of buying because i liked prior single "i want you" that i've mentioned prior and because the names that remixed the song excited me. they are moonbotica, fellow danes bandit and trentemøller and my countryman eric s. now i knew that the latter two names were what i was gearing for as i wasn't that a fan of moonbotica.
with trentemøller i knew of with "le champagne" on naked music and a few other records that was released around this time. i could have easily written about it as it is an amazing remix with all the trimmings and it sort of reminds me another track of his called "the forest". it's very soundscapey and deep with a heavy bass and great use of the strings from the original.
but i'm going to highlight eric s' remix as it's the one that i've played the most over the years and is also my favourite version, with trentemøller's remix as a close second. this version is probably the most straight forward housey of the bunch with it's round rhythmic bassline and sunshine groove driving it. all of the strings and atmosphere and the sombre attitude that the original uses is retranslated into a different mode.
the original is a great track but it's housemusic made for home listening or during the early hours and it has to do with it's groove. even though it actually gears towards the dancefloor in some respect, i don't really see it happening. eric s does a great job at creating that blend between hed kandi and body & soul it shines through with the percussion, the bassline as mentioned prior but also all the warm keys. lovely track.
buy here (itunes)
with trentemøller i knew of with "le champagne" on naked music and a few other records that was released around this time. i could have easily written about it as it is an amazing remix with all the trimmings and it sort of reminds me another track of his called "the forest". it's very soundscapey and deep with a heavy bass and great use of the strings from the original.
but i'm going to highlight eric s' remix as it's the one that i've played the most over the years and is also my favourite version, with trentemøller's remix as a close second. this version is probably the most straight forward housey of the bunch with it's round rhythmic bassline and sunshine groove driving it. all of the strings and atmosphere and the sombre attitude that the original uses is retranslated into a different mode.
the original is a great track but it's housemusic made for home listening or during the early hours and it has to do with it's groove. even though it actually gears towards the dancefloor in some respect, i don't really see it happening. eric s does a great job at creating that blend between hed kandi and body & soul it shines through with the percussion, the bassline as mentioned prior but also all the warm keys. lovely track.
buy here (itunes)
Tuesday 23 April 2013
shakira - ojos así (mirage mix)
the original song was something i heard on mtv during the so called latin explosion and along with "tú" and "inevitable" but this was the one that grabbed me. it definantly had to do with the arabic elements and i'm a sucker for that sort of fusion but this blend between latin and arabic comes natural in two ways. first foremost it's shakira's heritage as she's lebanese on through her father's side and spanish & italian on her mother's side. which brings to mind that there is a large amount of lebanese people that emigrated to mexico and that has eventually spread across both up and down the american continents.
all of the people of middle eastern descent loved this song and it really helped that it included a few lines sung in arabic, along with the durbake and ud that is audible. this is also probably why the internet had people believe that the song was a collaboration with popular egyptian singer amr diab. i also believed it hook, line and sinker and really didn't question it until a few years later when it was prove to be false information. that didn't really stopped me liking the song though and when i saw the single in my local recordshop a few years later i bought it without thinking.
i still don't know why the single was re-released in 2003 but it included two remixes and by prolific latin remixer & proder pablo flores so it was nothing to question. both version included were part of the original package in 1999 and the reason i said so was that i had heard the clubby thunder mix before but this as well in miscredited form as a "thunderpuss remix". something tells me it was so because around the time thunderpuss were the big name remixers along with hex hector following a couple of smash hits.
when i looked in the credits for the cdsingle it was when i found out that diab had nothing to to do with the song. also found out that pablo flores had to do with the production of "ojos así" along with shakira and flores' partner javier garza. however my favourite version of it all was the last version on the single called the mirage mix and this played up the arabic and latin elements and removed the four on the floor from the song. i get the feeling that flores (and maybe garza and shakira) just let loose and had a jam session with all the elements recorded for the original and this was the result. just pure brilliance.
buy here (itunes)
all of the people of middle eastern descent loved this song and it really helped that it included a few lines sung in arabic, along with the durbake and ud that is audible. this is also probably why the internet had people believe that the song was a collaboration with popular egyptian singer amr diab. i also believed it hook, line and sinker and really didn't question it until a few years later when it was prove to be false information. that didn't really stopped me liking the song though and when i saw the single in my local recordshop a few years later i bought it without thinking.
i still don't know why the single was re-released in 2003 but it included two remixes and by prolific latin remixer & proder pablo flores so it was nothing to question. both version included were part of the original package in 1999 and the reason i said so was that i had heard the clubby thunder mix before but this as well in miscredited form as a "thunderpuss remix". something tells me it was so because around the time thunderpuss were the big name remixers along with hex hector following a couple of smash hits.
when i looked in the credits for the cdsingle it was when i found out that diab had nothing to to do with the song. also found out that pablo flores had to do with the production of "ojos así" along with shakira and flores' partner javier garza. however my favourite version of it all was the last version on the single called the mirage mix and this played up the arabic and latin elements and removed the four on the floor from the song. i get the feeling that flores (and maybe garza and shakira) just let loose and had a jam session with all the elements recorded for the original and this was the result. just pure brilliance.
buy here (itunes)
Monday 22 April 2013
kosheen - hide u (e.s. dubs remix)
bought this along the cdsingles for "hungry" and "catch" a year or so after their release and on most of the versions it was a few versions i geared for. for "catch" it was ferry corsten's remix and hungry had a great rerub from bent and one from decoder & substance. on "hide u" the version was of course the john creamer & stephane k remix as that was the hit.
the e.s. dubs remix by dave jones (aka zed bias and maddslinky who is actually credited on the remix) was one i caught on to several years later. it was actually one of the first remixes to be released of "hide u" along with a version by young offendaz, who isn't that good. it was released before john creamer took the acapella of "hide u" and knocked out a bootleg remix that would prove itself so successful to go on to be the single & video version.
however i wasn't into uk garage at the time and i thought little of jones' remix but as i revisited the remix a few years i couldn't stop playing it. the drums were smacking and the bassline swayed around the bottom end in the best way possible. if i must remark on something then it's the clap that has a squashy trail and i don't really like it. otherwise it's well done, from the pads to the drums and the way the vocal floats on top of it with great effects.
buy here (itunes)
the e.s. dubs remix by dave jones (aka zed bias and maddslinky who is actually credited on the remix) was one i caught on to several years later. it was actually one of the first remixes to be released of "hide u" along with a version by young offendaz, who isn't that good. it was released before john creamer took the acapella of "hide u" and knocked out a bootleg remix that would prove itself so successful to go on to be the single & video version.
however i wasn't into uk garage at the time and i thought little of jones' remix but as i revisited the remix a few years i couldn't stop playing it. the drums were smacking and the bassline swayed around the bottom end in the best way possible. if i must remark on something then it's the clap that has a squashy trail and i don't really like it. otherwise it's well done, from the pads to the drums and the way the vocal floats on top of it with great effects.
buy here (itunes)
Sunday 21 April 2013
amber - anyway (steve porter's mix 1)
chances are that this was introduced to me through a set but since it was on bedrock it could have been through different ways. during the phase i had when i was sick of regular epic trance the i did start to gear towards bedrock, baroque and all the labels delivering progressive house & trance. however it was heard the first time, it always struck me how weird it was for a label like bedrock to release anything containing something like this.
steve porter's name wasn't estranged to the label as bedrock released a track the year before this that was done in collaboration with john debo called "deported". but amber was as far removed from the sound of bedrock with the regular output of her music, if you don't count the deep dish remixes for "sexual" that was commissioned by ministry of sound. i'm not completely sure on the state of release but from what i've read amber's label tommy boy didn't go for these remixes at the time of the original.
never the less they got a release a year after the original single release of "anyway" and they use quite a lot from chris cox's original production. the main difference is that porter removes everything else and then shapes it into two different cuts, the a-side is the more moody and something for early in the sets and the flip is when you need to get down to business. for me i fell in love with the first mix, and i've used this sentence quite a lot the last couple of entries, but it was that bassline.
the mix on the b-side has a more of a rhythmical bassline where as this one uses one of those legato basslines that progressive house & trance producers utilised in almost in abundance during the period. one of the main draws for this remix was it's structure as it was done with breakbeats in the first half of the song and then flips into four on the floor. the change isn't that noticable either and but it's good to have something this like to when switching and wanting to do it smooth.
as mentioned the bassline was the focal point for when i first heard the remix but the atmosphere and amber's vocals was something that i also really liked. the pads was broad and bellowing and you hear amber's vocal hazing through with effects and then halfway in it's heard clearly the first time. it's done brilliantly and the hints of the vocal that is heard after the main run is nicely effected. proper funky vibing.
buy here (junodownload)
steve porter's name wasn't estranged to the label as bedrock released a track the year before this that was done in collaboration with john debo called "deported". but amber was as far removed from the sound of bedrock with the regular output of her music, if you don't count the deep dish remixes for "sexual" that was commissioned by ministry of sound. i'm not completely sure on the state of release but from what i've read amber's label tommy boy didn't go for these remixes at the time of the original.
never the less they got a release a year after the original single release of "anyway" and they use quite a lot from chris cox's original production. the main difference is that porter removes everything else and then shapes it into two different cuts, the a-side is the more moody and something for early in the sets and the flip is when you need to get down to business. for me i fell in love with the first mix, and i've used this sentence quite a lot the last couple of entries, but it was that bassline.
the mix on the b-side has a more of a rhythmical bassline where as this one uses one of those legato basslines that progressive house & trance producers utilised in almost in abundance during the period. one of the main draws for this remix was it's structure as it was done with breakbeats in the first half of the song and then flips into four on the floor. the change isn't that noticable either and but it's good to have something this like to when switching and wanting to do it smooth.
as mentioned the bassline was the focal point for when i first heard the remix but the atmosphere and amber's vocals was something that i also really liked. the pads was broad and bellowing and you hear amber's vocal hazing through with effects and then halfway in it's heard clearly the first time. it's done brilliantly and the hints of the vocal that is heard after the main run is nicely effected. proper funky vibing.
buy here (junodownload)
Saturday 20 April 2013
marly - you never know (red carpet remix)
this was something that i knew of when i picked it up as it had been somewhat of a hit a few years and a mate of mine used to play it in his sets. the original was done by singer ditte-marie lyfeldt (aka marly) and the morten lambertsen & jacob johanssen (aka morjac). my mate loved "morjac's theme" and played a few of their tracks in their sets and the original versions of "you never know" was aurally similar.
for the single there was a quite a few remixes included for the original danish release by fellow danes filur and michael jensen (who made atleast three under diffrent names). it was licensed off to the uk on all around the world but also on a belgian label sugar sugar who both commissioned some versions. on the latter one is where patrick bruyndonx aka dén hetrix comes in with a red carpet remix.
it actually plays right into the type of sound that bruyndonx & raffaele brescia had done with their clubhit "alright", which itself is was like a piano houser much like kings of tomorrow's "finally" and layo & bushwacka!'s "love story" and a few others. bruyndonx does a really classy job for the remix and keeps the piano hook but shifts the focus a bit on the track. the notion that there is live bass that was recorded for the track is a bit tucked away in morjac's housey versions but here it's given more emphasis. the vocals have been effected and weave together as a layer with the rest of the track.
as much as i like the original or morjac's house version i think bruyndonx outdid them with this stunning remix.
buy here (beatport)
for the single there was a quite a few remixes included for the original danish release by fellow danes filur and michael jensen (who made atleast three under diffrent names). it was licensed off to the uk on all around the world but also on a belgian label sugar sugar who both commissioned some versions. on the latter one is where patrick bruyndonx aka dén hetrix comes in with a red carpet remix.
it actually plays right into the type of sound that bruyndonx & raffaele brescia had done with their clubhit "alright", which itself is was like a piano houser much like kings of tomorrow's "finally" and layo & bushwacka!'s "love story" and a few others. bruyndonx does a really classy job for the remix and keeps the piano hook but shifts the focus a bit on the track. the notion that there is live bass that was recorded for the track is a bit tucked away in morjac's housey versions but here it's given more emphasis. the vocals have been effected and weave together as a layer with the rest of the track.
as much as i like the original or morjac's house version i think bruyndonx outdid them with this stunning remix.
buy here (beatport)
Friday 19 April 2013
dido - sand in my shoes (steve lawler's we love ibiza mix)
one of my favourites of 2004 was this one and it followed "stoned" with it's amazing deep dish remixes that i loved deeply. the lead single for dido's second album "life for rent" was "white flag", which i liked but yunno it wasn't a "here with me" or a "hunter". also in the equation was that the scumfrog's remix "white flag" left little to offer and usually i was all over scumfrog's remixes & productions at the time. it felt like a lesser version of the remix for iio's "at the end" which i love and i would play it over this.
basically those deep dish remix of "stoned" was my darlings and then the second or third single "sand in my shoes" came around and i loved the original version. along with it there was a whole slew of remixes were to offer from the likes of the dab hands, the beginerz, filterheadz, above & beyond, rollo & mark bates and of course steve lawler. safe to say that there wasn't a bad version in the package really and depending on what your poison was in the 124 to 136 bpm region, there was a specific cut for each own.
for me it was all about steve lawler's chunky house remix even though most of the trance heads like me geared towards above & beyond and filterheadz remixes. i know that i didn't properly hear the beginerz remix until several years later and chances are that it would have been my favourite had i just taken a closer listen. it would have grabbed me on the use of the bongo drums from the original and the acidline in the second half of the song.
what it didn't have though was a monster of a bassline that lawler and pete lorimer worked into their remix. it was love at first sight and the music really blew my mind... all jokes aside though i banged this out in so many sets that year and the following years but it also infuriated me. lawler probably made his remix for his residency at we love-music's events on infamous eivissan club space as it's referenced in the remix title (and a few other of his remix titles).
i did not have the pleasure of doing that as i played out from my bedroom and it was at a time i had no patience for lengthy breakdowns in my sets. however i still loved the tune and the chunky parts from the other side of the breakdown. the middle section stripped it down to eventually just dido's vocal and the acoustic guitar from the original. you hear a verse and the hook and for my own listening pleasure it was a delight with it and the especially whole full eleven and a half minutes.
that midsection is brilliant on a hot summer day in the balearic islands but i played for a limited number of people and i wanted to bang out the parts with that bassline. so i took a drastic decision of doing an edit where i cut out about a third of the song, including most of the vocals sans the first verse. to some extent i think it's stupid in retrospect as i do like the original song and i could have easily played the beginerz remix as it would have worked as well.
part of me thinks i really should have done that but i still feel my edited version went above the beginerz well done remix. because as much i love "sand in my shoes" steve lawler & pete lorimer's remix wasn't about that in my ears, it was about that bassline.
buy here (itunes)
also i know that because of it's length, it's album only and fuck knows does that infuriate me as well but i own the tune so i don't care that much.
basically those deep dish remix of "stoned" was my darlings and then the second or third single "sand in my shoes" came around and i loved the original version. along with it there was a whole slew of remixes were to offer from the likes of the dab hands, the beginerz, filterheadz, above & beyond, rollo & mark bates and of course steve lawler. safe to say that there wasn't a bad version in the package really and depending on what your poison was in the 124 to 136 bpm region, there was a specific cut for each own.
for me it was all about steve lawler's chunky house remix even though most of the trance heads like me geared towards above & beyond and filterheadz remixes. i know that i didn't properly hear the beginerz remix until several years later and chances are that it would have been my favourite had i just taken a closer listen. it would have grabbed me on the use of the bongo drums from the original and the acidline in the second half of the song.
what it didn't have though was a monster of a bassline that lawler and pete lorimer worked into their remix. it was love at first sight and the music really blew my mind... all jokes aside though i banged this out in so many sets that year and the following years but it also infuriated me. lawler probably made his remix for his residency at we love-music's events on infamous eivissan club space as it's referenced in the remix title (and a few other of his remix titles).
i did not have the pleasure of doing that as i played out from my bedroom and it was at a time i had no patience for lengthy breakdowns in my sets. however i still loved the tune and the chunky parts from the other side of the breakdown. the middle section stripped it down to eventually just dido's vocal and the acoustic guitar from the original. you hear a verse and the hook and for my own listening pleasure it was a delight with it and the especially whole full eleven and a half minutes.
that midsection is brilliant on a hot summer day in the balearic islands but i played for a limited number of people and i wanted to bang out the parts with that bassline. so i took a drastic decision of doing an edit where i cut out about a third of the song, including most of the vocals sans the first verse. to some extent i think it's stupid in retrospect as i do like the original song and i could have easily played the beginerz remix as it would have worked as well.
part of me thinks i really should have done that but i still feel my edited version went above the beginerz well done remix. because as much i love "sand in my shoes" steve lawler & pete lorimer's remix wasn't about that in my ears, it was about that bassline.
buy here (itunes)
also i know that because of it's length, it's album only and fuck knows does that infuriate me as well but i own the tune so i don't care that much.
Thursday 18 April 2013
sybil - when i'm good and ready (classic dub mix)
another case of a single found in the bargain bins and again picked up because i recognized a few names on it and knew of sybil. more as the vocalist on blaze's "when i fall in love" and a few other tracks but i found out that a prior career singing r&b was the case as well. the second name i recognized was jewels & stone who for this single do the big ten minute club mix. they also produced a nice remix of sophie ellis-bextor's "murder on the dancefloor" that i liked a lot.
the song comes in a few other mixes and they were mostly in-house productions and that was the normal modus operandi for stock, aitken & waterman/pwl international productions. but the nerd in me has point out that aitken didn't have anything to do with "when i'm good and ready". the other versions from the single came from pwl-associates dave ford and safe hands. ford did the vocal club mixes with the verses included and safe hands did the mixes that only kept the hooks.
my favourite version on the single comes from safe hands and it's their classic dub that is mix that i think were trying to appeal the "underground" dj's. the core foundation of the song was kept but the focus was shifted towards the groove and the vocal melody. it goes through a few different instrumentations and my heart leaps with joy as the vibraphone is audible. gathered together with the deep bassline, that plays according to the leadline, it's a very good interpretation of that new york-ish sounding garage that the brits were trying to do from time to time.
it is a shame though that just the title was used in terms of the vocal but i think with some modern tools that is easily solvable considering an acapella is available.
buy here (itunes)
the song comes in a few other mixes and they were mostly in-house productions and that was the normal modus operandi for stock, aitken & waterman/pwl international productions. but the nerd in me has point out that aitken didn't have anything to do with "when i'm good and ready". the other versions from the single came from pwl-associates dave ford and safe hands. ford did the vocal club mixes with the verses included and safe hands did the mixes that only kept the hooks.
my favourite version on the single comes from safe hands and it's their classic dub that is mix that i think were trying to appeal the "underground" dj's. the core foundation of the song was kept but the focus was shifted towards the groove and the vocal melody. it goes through a few different instrumentations and my heart leaps with joy as the vibraphone is audible. gathered together with the deep bassline, that plays according to the leadline, it's a very good interpretation of that new york-ish sounding garage that the brits were trying to do from time to time.
it is a shame though that just the title was used in terms of the vocal but i think with some modern tools that is easily solvable considering an acapella is available.
buy here (itunes)
Wednesday 17 April 2013
zhané - shame
this was a find from one of my many trips of the multitudes of secondhand stores in stockholm. i had no clue about the song or the film it was the theme for. i am almost positive that i bought it because two of the remix titles said bump and the progressive house act sprung to my head. fact is that there was none of that and bump was just as a description, the music i found on this single was just r&b.
although "just r&b" is not really truthful as the disco roots of the song is conveyed with a boogie-esque production. however that is just what has been used as musically it is a bit different from evelyn "champagne" king's original. that doesn't really take from the brilliance of the cover and it really helps with the bassline being that good. i also love the way jean norris & renée neufville harmonize on the vocals as they are singing alternate lines of lyrics.
something tells me that this is the right type of song to get a revival from the neodisco crowd as it's fits perfect with what is normally played. it's also in the right temp and the extended club mix has enough mixability to work in sets. great stuff.
listen here (youtube)
although "just r&b" is not really truthful as the disco roots of the song is conveyed with a boogie-esque production. however that is just what has been used as musically it is a bit different from evelyn "champagne" king's original. that doesn't really take from the brilliance of the cover and it really helps with the bassline being that good. i also love the way jean norris & renée neufville harmonize on the vocals as they are singing alternate lines of lyrics.
something tells me that this is the right type of song to get a revival from the neodisco crowd as it's fits perfect with what is normally played. it's also in the right temp and the extended club mix has enough mixability to work in sets. great stuff.
listen here (youtube)
Tuesday 16 April 2013
stonebridge - put 'em high (axwell remix)
following previous entry it's therese grankvist and stonebridge again but this time the credit list is reversed as grankvist is the vocal feature for this track. stonebridge and grankvist formed a little bond as he also remixed therese's second single "i need somebody" and they collaborated a few times after this. the people behind "put 'em high" is also the same for "monkey" as klas b
wahl, grankvist and guitarist george nakas are listed as writers along
with sten hallström aka stonebridge.
as for "put 'em high" i think i either heard the song out in the clubs or on radio and i liked it quite a bit. it was stonebridge's hed kandi debut and the record really sounds like something from that label to put it very bluntly, but i wouldn't have said something like that then as i wasn't as much of a toolbag yet. i bought the cdsingle not long there after and at first i geared towards the original album version and jj's club mix as they featured the full vocal.
the single also included remixes by seamus haji, stockholm sound machine (more known as techno akt devilfish), axwell, angello & ingrosso. most would know the latter three as they are one of the biggest entities in dancemusic as of now. but this was ten years ago and stonebridge was the biggest name in the swedish house scene and they were up and coming.
i took a liking towards most of the remixes but in the end i've played seamus haji's remix and axwell's remix the most. the former stayed a bit faithful to the original but took it to a more summery late night approach, where as axwell went for pumping funky house. the music nerd in me must note that the version of haji's remix on my single had less use of the vocals.
axwell's remix took using just the hook and it set it to a groove that had quite of a bump to it as uses of cut up breakbeats and various distinct counter-rhythms. in fact it reminded me a lot of the aestethics of the roger sanchez' remix of wamdue project's "king of my castle", which i also really like. the beginning and the middle without the bassline and four on the floor in full blast makes for a nice transitioning tool into breaks or such. but it's not for just that purpose i work it but the meaty parts are downright funky and i like the playful arrangement. bumping.
buy here (junodownload)
as for "put 'em high" i think i either heard the song out in the clubs or on radio and i liked it quite a bit. it was stonebridge's hed kandi debut and the record really sounds like something from that label to put it very bluntly, but i wouldn't have said something like that then as i wasn't as much of a toolbag yet. i bought the cdsingle not long there after and at first i geared towards the original album version and jj's club mix as they featured the full vocal.
the single also included remixes by seamus haji, stockholm sound machine (more known as techno akt devilfish), axwell, angello & ingrosso. most would know the latter three as they are one of the biggest entities in dancemusic as of now. but this was ten years ago and stonebridge was the biggest name in the swedish house scene and they were up and coming.
i took a liking towards most of the remixes but in the end i've played seamus haji's remix and axwell's remix the most. the former stayed a bit faithful to the original but took it to a more summery late night approach, where as axwell went for pumping funky house. the music nerd in me must note that the version of haji's remix on my single had less use of the vocals.
axwell's remix took using just the hook and it set it to a groove that had quite of a bump to it as uses of cut up breakbeats and various distinct counter-rhythms. in fact it reminded me a lot of the aestethics of the roger sanchez' remix of wamdue project's "king of my castle", which i also really like. the beginning and the middle without the bassline and four on the floor in full blast makes for a nice transitioning tool into breaks or such. but it's not for just that purpose i work it but the meaty parts are downright funky and i like the playful arrangement. bumping.
buy here (junodownload)
Monday 15 April 2013
therese - monkey (stonebridge remix)
discovered this song on swedish tvchannel ztv where the video was hauled as a future hit. i had heard about therese grankvist wanting to strike out on her own away from the drömhus project prior, but i didn't expect this sound at all. the video itself was a nice one featuring visuals of grankvist riding on trainrails and such but it wasn't for that i caught on to "monkey". if i remember correctly i bought the single about a few days after that, a few weeks later i saw the slimcase single and bought that which had the full length version.
it was that bassline and the video even featured stonebridge's remix, which sonically isn't different from the original it self. on a glance it's a case of stoney doing a tightening up on klas b wahls production, but i suspect that he was somehow a part in the making of the song. "monkey" has two distinct elements and the first one is the chunky bassline but the second one is a discoloop that is filtered in and out.
stonebridge does a better job at the filtering during the verses and the drum track feels thicker and cleaner. only thing is that he removed that small twangy guitar lick that appeared in the verses for the original but i can still live with that. especially considering how much i've played this track over the ten years since it's came out, both in sets but also just on it's own. eventually i also did strike up a big fondness over håkan lidbo's remix, which was the 'underground alternative' but because of it's sound i found it awkward to fit in in a mix.
listen here (youtube)
it was that bassline and the video even featured stonebridge's remix, which sonically isn't different from the original it self. on a glance it's a case of stoney doing a tightening up on klas b wahls production, but i suspect that he was somehow a part in the making of the song. "monkey" has two distinct elements and the first one is the chunky bassline but the second one is a discoloop that is filtered in and out.
stonebridge does a better job at the filtering during the verses and the drum track feels thicker and cleaner. only thing is that he removed that small twangy guitar lick that appeared in the verses for the original but i can still live with that. especially considering how much i've played this track over the ten years since it's came out, both in sets but also just on it's own. eventually i also did strike up a big fondness over håkan lidbo's remix, which was the 'underground alternative' but because of it's sound i found it awkward to fit in in a mix.
listen here (youtube)
Sunday 14 April 2013
drömhus - vill ha dig (nello's 303 dub mix)
amongst the many reasons i still look for eurodance singles in bargain bins and second hand stores is remixes of the songs. most of the cases i am looking for that "underground" remix which basically means the version that sounds nothing like the original at hand. i've stated this fact a few times but sometimes i do love the song at hand but if i don't think much of it, the producer behind the remix has to be a favourite of mine.
for the case of this song i liked the project at hand which was ari lehtonen on production and therese grankvist on vocals and lyrics. the name itself is a swedish translation of the sound known as "dream house" which the first singles sort of used. i liked early singles like "du & jag", "i mina drömmar" and "ge upp", whose single houses the remix for "vill ha dig". however i did not like that song and i've never thought much of actual original, which is a cover of a 80's hit by swedish act free style. but when nello re-envisions this song, it's with a modus operandi that he used on quite a few of the remixes that was done that year.
nello tijardovic, who passed away in 2001, was starting to become a prolific producer in the swedish scene and worked closely with pierre jerksten amongst others. both of them used the trick of say the german trance scene (in particular derichs & romboy's alphabet city label) to stay afloat, it is also something that also can hurt you in terms of credibility. basically producing some really commercial records that schlock radio would love and then on ths same release do the versions that they actually would play out in the club.
how the remixes from nello's side goes in a manner of to have the song start and end with the chorus like bookends. at the start it plays once or twice to establish what the song is and in the end it's a minute or two with the hook repeating. the sound also changes a bit to whatever the song at hand originally sounds like. what is interesting though is the middle part and for most cases, with this remix included, there is a furious acidy workout on the commercial end.
words cannot describe how much i love this part and it also has to do that it also employs a chordprogression and hook that was also used in tina cousins' "killin' time". it's more blatant in the other two remixes of "vill ha dig" and especially ari lehtonen's own remix that he did as la cream (another eurodance project of his which nello also did remixes of in this fashion). this segment isn't clever at all but it puts all the focus on the sound of silverbox, which tijardovic was a avid user of and i of course is a big fan of.
the squelching acid sound for this one is used both as a bassline and second instance where it goes into more higher frequencies. it's very much a big drive and go to all of it but that has to do with the rest of the track with driving 16th note hihats, snarerolls and all that jazz. the bassline also that 16th note machinegun type punch that is more known in goa or psytrance, which of course nello produced on the side.
i've used this track and a few of the other acidy nello remixes in many trancy sets but i always tend to mix out before the end section. with quick mixing and track selection it works like a charm every time.
buy here (itunes)
for the case of this song i liked the project at hand which was ari lehtonen on production and therese grankvist on vocals and lyrics. the name itself is a swedish translation of the sound known as "dream house" which the first singles sort of used. i liked early singles like "du & jag", "i mina drömmar" and "ge upp", whose single houses the remix for "vill ha dig". however i did not like that song and i've never thought much of actual original, which is a cover of a 80's hit by swedish act free style. but when nello re-envisions this song, it's with a modus operandi that he used on quite a few of the remixes that was done that year.
nello tijardovic, who passed away in 2001, was starting to become a prolific producer in the swedish scene and worked closely with pierre jerksten amongst others. both of them used the trick of say the german trance scene (in particular derichs & romboy's alphabet city label) to stay afloat, it is also something that also can hurt you in terms of credibility. basically producing some really commercial records that schlock radio would love and then on ths same release do the versions that they actually would play out in the club.
how the remixes from nello's side goes in a manner of to have the song start and end with the chorus like bookends. at the start it plays once or twice to establish what the song is and in the end it's a minute or two with the hook repeating. the sound also changes a bit to whatever the song at hand originally sounds like. what is interesting though is the middle part and for most cases, with this remix included, there is a furious acidy workout on the commercial end.
words cannot describe how much i love this part and it also has to do that it also employs a chordprogression and hook that was also used in tina cousins' "killin' time". it's more blatant in the other two remixes of "vill ha dig" and especially ari lehtonen's own remix that he did as la cream (another eurodance project of his which nello also did remixes of in this fashion). this segment isn't clever at all but it puts all the focus on the sound of silverbox, which tijardovic was a avid user of and i of course is a big fan of.
the squelching acid sound for this one is used both as a bassline and second instance where it goes into more higher frequencies. it's very much a big drive and go to all of it but that has to do with the rest of the track with driving 16th note hihats, snarerolls and all that jazz. the bassline also that 16th note machinegun type punch that is more known in goa or psytrance, which of course nello produced on the side.
i've used this track and a few of the other acidy nello remixes in many trancy sets but i always tend to mix out before the end section. with quick mixing and track selection it works like a charm every time.
buy here (itunes)
Saturday 13 April 2013
qk - valencia (booiamrudolf remix)
i found about david uribe aka dsum's monofonicos netlabel through a mate and back then i just grabbed a few select tracks and that worked in my sets. what i was playing at the time was a lot of deep house where as he played techno on the deeper scale which sorted blended together sonically. but i was still looking atmosphere and groove so i geared for some of the same tracks but i wasn't looking for certain of the other output on the label.
for sergio escobar aka qk's ep "415" i had listened to the track before and i was into "folsom" and the giggs remix of "geary". "valencia" and especially the remix by booiamrudolf was looked past and i understand why, but still not as i was playing sunday brunch tracks that sounded like this. none the less they became the top priority as i grabbed them again about a year ago after my harddrive failed on me.
"valencia" in it's original state is a deep funky broken beat number that later shifts into four on the floor about a third into the track. rodolfo alzate aka booiamrudolf take out a bit of the laidback feel and emphasises the drums and bassline. most of escobar's melodic elements are reduced and azalte only keeps the pads and floaty leadline.
azalte does a quite nice job at tweaking that for a climatic phase in the second half of the track and in general "valencia" is turned into into a bumping club track. the bassline is a driving ordeal even in the broken rhythms that form the track. i quite like how the filters are let loose of it as the leadline is going through a bitcrushing automation. in a breif solo moment there is the first audible signs that the sound of it is an upright bass, always a favourite element of mine. stunning.
download here (archive.org)
also recommend his album from last year which he released own his own bandcamp.
for sergio escobar aka qk's ep "415" i had listened to the track before and i was into "folsom" and the giggs remix of "geary". "valencia" and especially the remix by booiamrudolf was looked past and i understand why, but still not as i was playing sunday brunch tracks that sounded like this. none the less they became the top priority as i grabbed them again about a year ago after my harddrive failed on me.
"valencia" in it's original state is a deep funky broken beat number that later shifts into four on the floor about a third into the track. rodolfo alzate aka booiamrudolf take out a bit of the laidback feel and emphasises the drums and bassline. most of escobar's melodic elements are reduced and azalte only keeps the pads and floaty leadline.
azalte does a quite nice job at tweaking that for a climatic phase in the second half of the track and in general "valencia" is turned into into a bumping club track. the bassline is a driving ordeal even in the broken rhythms that form the track. i quite like how the filters are let loose of it as the leadline is going through a bitcrushing automation. in a breif solo moment there is the first audible signs that the sound of it is an upright bass, always a favourite element of mine. stunning.
download here (archive.org)
also recommend his album from last year which he released own his own bandcamp.
Friday 12 April 2013
duvchi - whole life tour
"whole life tour" was something i heard on national radio and i didn't catch it's brilliance until the third or fourth listen. i knew of jens duvsjö aka duvchi's previous single "turtledoves" and quite liked it but it was a quite some time between those two singles. when i caught on to the song it was an amazement of the sound and the use of effects, into almost the extreme.
some words and references come to mind when i hear it as i don't even know how to pigeon-hole this one. it blatantly lifts ideas from the recent chillwave and glo-fi movement. however you can also easily point to shoegaze and modern psychedelic rock and pop music. for me it's a case of hearing it to an extent where i wonder how it sounds completely stripped of effects.
even looked on youtube to see if an early version existed but only found duvsjö performing it as it is back in late 2011, so i guess this song was to be released closer to "turtledoves" but something got in the way. none the less the song has two distinct parts and the latter would be the last minute which is completely instrumental. but it also loosens up the use of filters and effects sounds are heard more prominently but the mood also switches a bit for the cheerier.
duvchi's vocal delivery reflects well on the kind of backing you hear with a rhythm that is phased slowly.
the song it self is about wanting to escape the normal day life and you can hear well it uses the mood changes between verse and chorus. during the verses it's sort of staccato and there is heavy use of rhyming to an extent that i hear him rapping but it's on the poetic side. basically it's spoken word type flow but the choruses are sung with great romantic emphasis, in that modern gentle indie-r&b type way.
there is also a picked guitar and the bottom end a bassline that is rumbling away. the use of pads is remarkable as big use of reverbs almost makes for a airy cloud of sound surrounding everything. listening closer you can hear how the pads are integrated into everything along with these long sweeping strings that are used for accents.
when duvsjö starts the transition into the second part of the song it is started with the pads and reverb that somehow starts to pushing forward. it is almost as it's going to end on a highnote when a small interlude of reverbed pianos comes in, and it could also be the closer. but it pushes into a interesting part where the volume of the music is increased as the aural clarity is refined. part of me wishes it would go on for a bit longer but i also like it at this length.
buy here (itunes)
some words and references come to mind when i hear it as i don't even know how to pigeon-hole this one. it blatantly lifts ideas from the recent chillwave and glo-fi movement. however you can also easily point to shoegaze and modern psychedelic rock and pop music. for me it's a case of hearing it to an extent where i wonder how it sounds completely stripped of effects.
even looked on youtube to see if an early version existed but only found duvsjö performing it as it is back in late 2011, so i guess this song was to be released closer to "turtledoves" but something got in the way. none the less the song has two distinct parts and the latter would be the last minute which is completely instrumental. but it also loosens up the use of filters and effects sounds are heard more prominently but the mood also switches a bit for the cheerier.
duvchi's vocal delivery reflects well on the kind of backing you hear with a rhythm that is phased slowly.
the song it self is about wanting to escape the normal day life and you can hear well it uses the mood changes between verse and chorus. during the verses it's sort of staccato and there is heavy use of rhyming to an extent that i hear him rapping but it's on the poetic side. basically it's spoken word type flow but the choruses are sung with great romantic emphasis, in that modern gentle indie-r&b type way.
there is also a picked guitar and the bottom end a bassline that is rumbling away. the use of pads is remarkable as big use of reverbs almost makes for a airy cloud of sound surrounding everything. listening closer you can hear how the pads are integrated into everything along with these long sweeping strings that are used for accents.
when duvsjö starts the transition into the second part of the song it is started with the pads and reverb that somehow starts to pushing forward. it is almost as it's going to end on a highnote when a small interlude of reverbed pianos comes in, and it could also be the closer. but it pushes into a interesting part where the volume of the music is increased as the aural clarity is refined. part of me wishes it would go on for a bit longer but i also like it at this length.
buy here (itunes)
Thursday 11 April 2013
boogie pimps - somebody to love (raymond barry remix)
bought the cd-single of "somebody to love" at the time of it's release and it was in 'legendary' recordstore pitch, here in stockholm. they used to have a lot of imports and for some reason most of the ministry of sound material was australian. infact they had a whole lot of australian imports and i think it's because they used to get as much good material on a single. the australians along with the japanese but most already know about the size of them, but i do recommend dancenet singles for classic stuff.
this was a track i knew of sort of and i liked the original and the moonbotica remix but i liked it for the groove and the "fear and loathing in las vegas"-speech. the jefferson airplane sample was a bit to overused in most of the version, including the moonbotica remix that had some great acid. the australian single used some most of the remixes commissioned by ministry of sound themselves and this meant leaving out moonboticas remix.
most of the new versions left out the speech for obvious reasons as ministry of sound was pushing this single to a wide commercial market. i think i even read some review from some american dj & journalist on this single and it said something that some dj's were hesistant to play it because of the speech, which is bullshit but understandable to a certain degree.
henceforth the removal of the speech annoyed me a bit but i did really like santos' versions, dj flex & sandy wilhelm's was a bit annoying though. also it did copy the idea & bassline of daft punk's "burning", as did junior jack for "thrill me" but in a different way, but i felt that you might as well play "burning" instead of this inferior version. as far as i know raymond barry's version is the only kept it and they also took to a direction of the track that i loved.
basically it is an update on the original but with a more driving bassline and it puts all the focus on the build and groove. when it drops in the middle of the song it's for the speech and the jefferson airplane sample is used to a minimal extent and it's all treated with filters and looping. safe to say a very well made remix that i've cained heavily over the years.
for years i thought raymond barry was just some random producer as when i first read information on discogs, there was little info and only one single released. it wasn't until a few years later that i found out that it was a team of producers behind this one. they were davide & alessandro piatto, claudio rossi and gerhard potuznik, all of which who have a fair load of quality records under their belt. even a classic or two but you can dig into discogs for them.
this was a track i knew of sort of and i liked the original and the moonbotica remix but i liked it for the groove and the "fear and loathing in las vegas"-speech. the jefferson airplane sample was a bit to overused in most of the version, including the moonbotica remix that had some great acid. the australian single used some most of the remixes commissioned by ministry of sound themselves and this meant leaving out moonboticas remix.
most of the new versions left out the speech for obvious reasons as ministry of sound was pushing this single to a wide commercial market. i think i even read some review from some american dj & journalist on this single and it said something that some dj's were hesistant to play it because of the speech, which is bullshit but understandable to a certain degree.
henceforth the removal of the speech annoyed me a bit but i did really like santos' versions, dj flex & sandy wilhelm's was a bit annoying though. also it did copy the idea & bassline of daft punk's "burning", as did junior jack for "thrill me" but in a different way, but i felt that you might as well play "burning" instead of this inferior version. as far as i know raymond barry's version is the only kept it and they also took to a direction of the track that i loved.
basically it is an update on the original but with a more driving bassline and it puts all the focus on the build and groove. when it drops in the middle of the song it's for the speech and the jefferson airplane sample is used to a minimal extent and it's all treated with filters and looping. safe to say a very well made remix that i've cained heavily over the years.
for years i thought raymond barry was just some random producer as when i first read information on discogs, there was little info and only one single released. it wasn't until a few years later that i found out that it was a team of producers behind this one. they were davide & alessandro piatto, claudio rossi and gerhard potuznik, all of which who have a fair load of quality records under their belt. even a classic or two but you can dig into discogs for them.
Wednesday 10 April 2013
valerie etienne - misunderstanding (roger's r-senal mix)
another one of my purchases when from the time i used to trawl for any single that looked interesting and had remixes. "misunderstanding" was released during the unfortunate time when the uk had a limit to 20minutes on singles and henceforth there was the two parter system. the original was done in collaboration with ski oakenfull and he also provides a remix but that's only on vinyl.
for cd you had two excellent versions by mj cole and roger sanchez, the former did a 2-step mix for the vocal version and a rougher 4x4 take for the dub. sanchez went for soulful house and only difference between his two mixes is the less use of vocals. i found the second single in the pack first and that included roger's main mix and mj cole's dub and they've served me well over the years.
the original was never put on any of the cd-singles but i have heard it and i quite like it but i'll take roger's classy house version over it any day. very good use of the guitar from the original and i really love that bassline and the live feel of it. it's the key word about this one as most of the elements feels natural to a certain extent and while it's not completely body & soul, it does have that appeal. proper.
buy here (itunes)
for cd you had two excellent versions by mj cole and roger sanchez, the former did a 2-step mix for the vocal version and a rougher 4x4 take for the dub. sanchez went for soulful house and only difference between his two mixes is the less use of vocals. i found the second single in the pack first and that included roger's main mix and mj cole's dub and they've served me well over the years.
the original was never put on any of the cd-singles but i have heard it and i quite like it but i'll take roger's classy house version over it any day. very good use of the guitar from the original and i really love that bassline and the live feel of it. it's the key word about this one as most of the elements feels natural to a certain extent and while it's not completely body & soul, it does have that appeal. proper.
buy here (itunes)
Tuesday 9 April 2013
the roc project - never (max reich remix)
"never" was a huge club hit when i bought the cdsingle and think i hadn't heard the original but i was quite into the remixes by both dj tiësto and filterheadz. both of which were included along with a remix by jean-claude ades and max reich, along with the original and radio edit. after my infatuation died down a bit with those two versions my focus went more for the max reich remix.
it also had to do with filterheadz remix being basically their previous production "sunshine" (done with tomaz), in a slightly different suit and you might as well play that instead. might as well add that it's not the first time i mention this but anyone knowledgable to filterheadz productions at the time know about it. a popular trick with dj's at time was to play this remix or the dub version and go into "sunshine"
none the less if you are going to get really nerdy to things, i found it weird that some of the titles were a bit different. the original and max reich remix had a secondary title, being "past tense", tagged on in brackets. when i looked in the credits i noticed it was because "never" uses a sample from fused's "twisted". fused was a project by my countrymen max reich, samuel malm together with vocalist petra hallberg.
this part is discogs info because i can honestly say that prior to hearing "never" i had never heard of fused or the song that was sampled. my head knew about both producers prior and their prior output was more in the techno region but both had done some acidy trance as well. from what i gather then fused stemmed from an initial one-off housey single as "selected works" in '97 for mousse t's peppermint jam label.
eventually it became a full length album but now with a new project name and album called "selected works". after a few other singles they struck a deal with columbia and this in hand led to a release of singles "saving mary", "twisted" and "terror". i heard that the project sort of disbanded after that and i believe malm went into more engineering work and reich started up shapeshifters.
for reich's remix of the song he went into a tougher and more progressive direction, a very driving track straight from the top when the bassline sets the tone for the rest. it's always interesting when someone that has been sampled are invited or wants to do a re-envisioning like this, especially on how they choose to tackle the remix and what sounds are used.
traces of reich's past productions are a visible and i think it's because of the way the focus comes on the subtle acid sound and the lowkey melodies on top of this driving rhythm. the vocal isn't the focal point of the track even though it's quite prominent throughout the track. it's very well done and i like how the track is built as it easily fits a driving house set but lends to transitioning into progressive house and to some extent a trancy or set. good stuff.
buy here (itunes)
it also had to do with filterheadz remix being basically their previous production "sunshine" (done with tomaz), in a slightly different suit and you might as well play that instead. might as well add that it's not the first time i mention this but anyone knowledgable to filterheadz productions at the time know about it. a popular trick with dj's at time was to play this remix or the dub version and go into "sunshine"
none the less if you are going to get really nerdy to things, i found it weird that some of the titles were a bit different. the original and max reich remix had a secondary title, being "past tense", tagged on in brackets. when i looked in the credits i noticed it was because "never" uses a sample from fused's "twisted". fused was a project by my countrymen max reich, samuel malm together with vocalist petra hallberg.
this part is discogs info because i can honestly say that prior to hearing "never" i had never heard of fused or the song that was sampled. my head knew about both producers prior and their prior output was more in the techno region but both had done some acidy trance as well. from what i gather then fused stemmed from an initial one-off housey single as "selected works" in '97 for mousse t's peppermint jam label.
eventually it became a full length album but now with a new project name and album called "selected works". after a few other singles they struck a deal with columbia and this in hand led to a release of singles "saving mary", "twisted" and "terror". i heard that the project sort of disbanded after that and i believe malm went into more engineering work and reich started up shapeshifters.
for reich's remix of the song he went into a tougher and more progressive direction, a very driving track straight from the top when the bassline sets the tone for the rest. it's always interesting when someone that has been sampled are invited or wants to do a re-envisioning like this, especially on how they choose to tackle the remix and what sounds are used.
traces of reich's past productions are a visible and i think it's because of the way the focus comes on the subtle acid sound and the lowkey melodies on top of this driving rhythm. the vocal isn't the focal point of the track even though it's quite prominent throughout the track. it's very well done and i like how the track is built as it easily fits a driving house set but lends to transitioning into progressive house and to some extent a trancy or set. good stuff.
buy here (itunes)
Monday 8 April 2013
rachael starr - till there was you (john creamer & stephane k remix)
another case of something that i heard upon it's release but first it was through gabriel & dresden's remix and i didn't like that but i liked the song in general. i heard starr's original version closely after that and preferred it but when i heard about john creamer & stephane k's remix, there was no turning back. gabriel & dresden took a big risk with their remix but and there is a bit of a circuit flirt in the sound but i really think they missed the point of the song.
starr's vocal delivery which is bit dry but there is a subtle moodyness to it, even if the lyrics are supposed to be romantic in some way. the match up with gabriel & dresden's beats didn't work and i think starr played up the funky house aspect a bit too much. creamer & k does it very subtle and lets the small motif of the pads and the bassline do the work for most part. by doing this they harnessed the best parts of the original and let them be the focal points.
i was entrance by that bassline and it's interesting how they redid it where in starr's hands it was a warped murmur. when they took to it the sound is in line with the pad motif, to an extent that it becomes another layer to it. something that is now very much associated with booka shade's "mandarine girl" but this goes a bit deeper than that. because of this and the fact that it utilized a bit of a scaled down production is why most of the time i played this track i used to pitch it down. "till there was you" worked excellently with deeper house and slowing it down also increased the moody nature of the vocal but also the song at hand. brilliant.
buy here (beatport)
starr's vocal delivery which is bit dry but there is a subtle moodyness to it, even if the lyrics are supposed to be romantic in some way. the match up with gabriel & dresden's beats didn't work and i think starr played up the funky house aspect a bit too much. creamer & k does it very subtle and lets the small motif of the pads and the bassline do the work for most part. by doing this they harnessed the best parts of the original and let them be the focal points.
i was entrance by that bassline and it's interesting how they redid it where in starr's hands it was a warped murmur. when they took to it the sound is in line with the pad motif, to an extent that it becomes another layer to it. something that is now very much associated with booka shade's "mandarine girl" but this goes a bit deeper than that. because of this and the fact that it utilized a bit of a scaled down production is why most of the time i played this track i used to pitch it down. "till there was you" worked excellently with deeper house and slowing it down also increased the moody nature of the vocal but also the song at hand. brilliant.
buy here (beatport)
Sunday 7 April 2013
hugg & pepp - meral
with my recollection i bought the "naken janne" ep in '05 and i already knew of "janne", which more or less is the titletrack, as this was a track played everywhere at the time. it was definitely around the time people outside of the techno & house scene started looking at jesper dahlbäcks productions because of the rework of "murder of the bass". i bring that up as "janne" has an vicious bassline and part of it's charm is that it sounds like the cross between a hoover and a reese at times.
as i actually listened to the other tracks on the record, i was sort of into them but nothing hit as hard as "janne" at the time. not going to lie but at time i was still coming to the notion that techno didn't just mean drumcode type records. i liked some other techno but i was favouring the fast and pounding sound. "janne" fit sort of into that when pitched up but i also learned that i had to play this music differently.
there was one track that sort of grabbed my mind at the time and remember it vividly hearing "meral" and being a bit into as i started getting back into those persuader records. i know that hugg & pepp is in collaboration with his cousin john but anything that jesper dahlbäck does, that sounds remotely like his persuader records will probably get support from me. even if it's almost 10 years after it's release but i do know why i didn't play it back then. my toes had just been dipped into playing deeper house and even then my notion of deep house was the really atmospheric kind.
none the less i want to still talk about this one and it is the bassline and the pads that makes "meral" the brilliant tune that it is. the dahlbäcks build up a steady groove with a distinct closing hihat with each clap and some funky congas. the bass comes teasing in after a little while and it squelches a bit to an extent that sounds like farts but it works with the track. the warm pads used in a few of dahlbäck's previous productions come in for a little time when they are later replaced with a more perky patch.
further on in the track the bass also gets to shine with a solomoment of sorts and along with it there are some beat edits. while all of this is happening there is a moody but sombre pad in the background and while it's just playing longer chords it really does it's job with the ambience. great track and for that extent great ep in general, there isn't a bad track on this release and i can fit all of the songs in a set any day.
it helps sometimes to look in your recordcollection and see if you have forgotten some gems, this was definitely one of those.
also the nerdy/popcultural part of me has to point out that all of the tracks which are "janne", "meral", "robban", "linda" are named after people who took part of various reality shows in the early noughties. all of them gained notoriety in one way or another and janne for instance was kalled "naken janne" ("naked janne") for his nudist ways.
as i actually listened to the other tracks on the record, i was sort of into them but nothing hit as hard as "janne" at the time. not going to lie but at time i was still coming to the notion that techno didn't just mean drumcode type records. i liked some other techno but i was favouring the fast and pounding sound. "janne" fit sort of into that when pitched up but i also learned that i had to play this music differently.
there was one track that sort of grabbed my mind at the time and remember it vividly hearing "meral" and being a bit into as i started getting back into those persuader records. i know that hugg & pepp is in collaboration with his cousin john but anything that jesper dahlbäck does, that sounds remotely like his persuader records will probably get support from me. even if it's almost 10 years after it's release but i do know why i didn't play it back then. my toes had just been dipped into playing deeper house and even then my notion of deep house was the really atmospheric kind.
none the less i want to still talk about this one and it is the bassline and the pads that makes "meral" the brilliant tune that it is. the dahlbäcks build up a steady groove with a distinct closing hihat with each clap and some funky congas. the bass comes teasing in after a little while and it squelches a bit to an extent that sounds like farts but it works with the track. the warm pads used in a few of dahlbäck's previous productions come in for a little time when they are later replaced with a more perky patch.
further on in the track the bass also gets to shine with a solomoment of sorts and along with it there are some beat edits. while all of this is happening there is a moody but sombre pad in the background and while it's just playing longer chords it really does it's job with the ambience. great track and for that extent great ep in general, there isn't a bad track on this release and i can fit all of the songs in a set any day.
it helps sometimes to look in your recordcollection and see if you have forgotten some gems, this was definitely one of those.
also the nerdy/popcultural part of me has to point out that all of the tracks which are "janne", "meral", "robban", "linda" are named after people who took part of various reality shows in the early noughties. all of them gained notoriety in one way or another and janne for instance was kalled "naken janne" ("naked janne") for his nudist ways.
Saturday 6 April 2013
vivian green - emotional rollercoaster (original 3 extended)
"emotional rollercoaster" was something i heard in a set and it was originally through a remix by above & beyond and it's a version that i still love. typical classy driving epic trance production with green's vocal on top and it was also nice to hear soulful vocals like that with trancier beats. because normally on a regular basis, the most soulful you could get was marcella woods, merle forbes and kate cameron and they was stuck to singing e-tard poetry for the most part.
i missed out on actual buying the record at the time but saw the cdsingle a while after and bought it, knowing that it wasn't included. the additional versions included was by junior vasquez, that kid chris and original 3 together with a b-side called "music", also available on her album "a love story". junior vasquez remix was a classic circuit rerub and i liked it to an extent but i could never play it because it had certain parts that i didn't like, note that this was before i took to editing tracks .
that kid chris took to a tribal progressive house version that bored me tears on the first listen and while i see it's purpose with these ears, i'd never play it. saving the original 3 remix for last and this was always the remix i chose to play because it harnessed the original production, which i loved. for some reason i also thought that it was by osunlade as he, erro & vivian green were responsible for the song. it also didn't help that discogs never included a remixcredit for the act "original 3" at the time, or maybe that i had never heard of them prior to looking it up today.
none the less, it's a great soulful house track that uses osunlade's bassline and synth licks with green's vocal as i hinted upon in the prior paragraph. i also like the guitar being used that isn't that prominent but audible enough and the way it fits the soundscape. the most notable is that it implements the bridge that most of the remixers that took a stab at this song ignored.
it's part of the motion of the original composition but in original 3's remix it's in the breakdown and becomes a great crowning moment for green as she just belts out the hook right after it. as it's set up is a classic trick with diva house type tracks and it works equally as brilliant with this one. love it.
i missed out on actual buying the record at the time but saw the cdsingle a while after and bought it, knowing that it wasn't included. the additional versions included was by junior vasquez, that kid chris and original 3 together with a b-side called "music", also available on her album "a love story". junior vasquez remix was a classic circuit rerub and i liked it to an extent but i could never play it because it had certain parts that i didn't like, note that this was before i took to editing tracks .
that kid chris took to a tribal progressive house version that bored me tears on the first listen and while i see it's purpose with these ears, i'd never play it. saving the original 3 remix for last and this was always the remix i chose to play because it harnessed the original production, which i loved. for some reason i also thought that it was by osunlade as he, erro & vivian green were responsible for the song. it also didn't help that discogs never included a remixcredit for the act "original 3" at the time, or maybe that i had never heard of them prior to looking it up today.
none the less, it's a great soulful house track that uses osunlade's bassline and synth licks with green's vocal as i hinted upon in the prior paragraph. i also like the guitar being used that isn't that prominent but audible enough and the way it fits the soundscape. the most notable is that it implements the bridge that most of the remixers that took a stab at this song ignored.
it's part of the motion of the original composition but in original 3's remix it's in the breakdown and becomes a great crowning moment for green as she just belts out the hook right after it. as it's set up is a classic trick with diva house type tracks and it works equally as brilliant with this one. love it.
Friday 5 April 2013
sonique - sky (sonique remix)
another one of my early record puchases and this was from a music and video exchange of sorts in stockholm, i saw the record there along with a few other and decided to get it. i knew of the original version quite vividly as it was quite a big hit one or two years prior but hadn't heard the remixes on the record. to be honest i thought "it feels so good" was better than "sky" but i didn't have that single either until much later.
upon getting it i did have a clue on what i would expect with these ones and i thought both remixes would be full on club mixes. such is the case with the b-side that is the conductor & the cowboy remix, which is the version i have played the most as i've found places for it in sets. it's right proper driving epic trance and that isn't a secret that i am fond of that or like to play that.
the a-side however which is sonique's own rework expands on the original but shifts the focus out of the big room. to these ears it's the kind of tune that would work well in sets with club music but not meant for dancing, just to please the ears. however i do hear how it can be used and also notice the elements that could aid if the track was pitched up a bit.
in general most elements of the song was redone and the prominent stabbing synth melodies and string arrangement is replaced with softer pads, lowkey keys and a guitar. the drums and the bassline have also gone through a switch and they feel more in tune with rest of the sounds. the bassline in particular is more accentuated and whenever that squelching long note makes it's presence, you feel it's presence. on top, or should i say in the middle with the rest of this glorious soundscape, sonique's warm vocal feels right at home. very nice.
buy here (itunes)
upon getting it i did have a clue on what i would expect with these ones and i thought both remixes would be full on club mixes. such is the case with the b-side that is the conductor & the cowboy remix, which is the version i have played the most as i've found places for it in sets. it's right proper driving epic trance and that isn't a secret that i am fond of that or like to play that.
the a-side however which is sonique's own rework expands on the original but shifts the focus out of the big room. to these ears it's the kind of tune that would work well in sets with club music but not meant for dancing, just to please the ears. however i do hear how it can be used and also notice the elements that could aid if the track was pitched up a bit.
in general most elements of the song was redone and the prominent stabbing synth melodies and string arrangement is replaced with softer pads, lowkey keys and a guitar. the drums and the bassline have also gone through a switch and they feel more in tune with rest of the sounds. the bassline in particular is more accentuated and whenever that squelching long note makes it's presence, you feel it's presence. on top, or should i say in the middle with the rest of this glorious soundscape, sonique's warm vocal feels right at home. very nice.
buy here (itunes)
Thursday 4 April 2013
lillian - magic moments (bart van wissen remix)
this was something i bought a few years ago because i really liked the original version of "magic moments" but when i took it home the remix became the choice version. part of why i liked the song in the first place as it had nice progressive trancy vibe to it with a melancholic vocal. andain's "summer calling" really came into mind on the initial listens but not completely.
"magic moment" was one the many collaborations between lillian van sonsbeek and dennis buné (aka jaimy) & kenneth doekhie (aka kenny d) and most of them sat in that grayarea between funky house, progressive house and progressive trance. but on most of the occasions they shifted toward the moodier than the quite funky vocal tunes like "caught me running" for example.
i have no idea on how both parts connected because prior to working with buné & doekhie, sonsbeek was the vocalist for happy hardcore project 4 tune fairytales. but i guess as that ended sonsbeek moved on to voicing different sounds and that is what happened in 2000. discogs doesn't really tell which is the start of their collaborations but it could be night sessions' "i wander" or jaimy & kenny d's "shine on" or "don't know your name" ep.
none the less it was quite a thriving connection and they pulled out a number of great tracks and this is one of them. for bart van wissen's remix he took the track into a different sound than the latent trancier sounds and from the get go, it is quite funky. vibrant drums and shuffled percussion set the stage but as soon you hear the you hear the pads sweeping in, a whole different feel is brought on. even with a bassline that is brought on which is equally funky as the percussion, you feel this "laidback" notion for a lack of better terms.
with the vocal the mood is emphasised even more but i took a big liking to this remix not just because of that. i saw the possibilities in a set where it's an excellent transition piece. the funky rhythm is excellent for keeping the groove going but if you want to take it down or go into a different direction it will fit the role. great stuff.
buy here (junodownload)
"magic moment" was one the many collaborations between lillian van sonsbeek and dennis buné (aka jaimy) & kenneth doekhie (aka kenny d) and most of them sat in that grayarea between funky house, progressive house and progressive trance. but on most of the occasions they shifted toward the moodier than the quite funky vocal tunes like "caught me running" for example.
i have no idea on how both parts connected because prior to working with buné & doekhie, sonsbeek was the vocalist for happy hardcore project 4 tune fairytales. but i guess as that ended sonsbeek moved on to voicing different sounds and that is what happened in 2000. discogs doesn't really tell which is the start of their collaborations but it could be night sessions' "i wander" or jaimy & kenny d's "shine on" or "don't know your name" ep.
none the less it was quite a thriving connection and they pulled out a number of great tracks and this is one of them. for bart van wissen's remix he took the track into a different sound than the latent trancier sounds and from the get go, it is quite funky. vibrant drums and shuffled percussion set the stage but as soon you hear the you hear the pads sweeping in, a whole different feel is brought on. even with a bassline that is brought on which is equally funky as the percussion, you feel this "laidback" notion for a lack of better terms.
with the vocal the mood is emphasised even more but i took a big liking to this remix not just because of that. i saw the possibilities in a set where it's an excellent transition piece. the funky rhythm is excellent for keeping the groove going but if you want to take it down or go into a different direction it will fit the role. great stuff.
buy here (junodownload)
Wednesday 3 April 2013
slip 'n' slide - let me know
"let me know" was something i heard originally on youtube many years ago and back then it was mislabeled as an aphrodite tune. not that hard to understand why since it bears resemblance to his productions during the late 90's, even if this is a bit toned down compared to them. the aaliyah sample was the hook for my liking but i also took a liking towards the breakdown part of the song.
usually i would start talking about the artists at hand but i have no clue on who sean warfield aka dj slip or tej singh aka slide are, you know beyond discogs information. but from that i gather that they were part of a click of canadian drum & bass producers more known as vinyl syndicate, circled around a shop and label with the same name. sometimes the nerdy nature of me kicks in to dig deeper but in this care there is little care to be found beyond my deep liking towards this track.
what i can tell you is that this did trigger the part of my musical taste that likes jump-up drum & bass even though the elitist part of me want so ignore that. as mentioned in my entry of jamie myerson's "everything's gonna be alright" i stand for everything i like. all those inane urban takedown productions like "bad ass", the remix of "jungle brother" and the "rockafella skank" remix, i would go nuts on a dancefloor if someone played them.
this track is golden right from the start with those "n.t." drums and those soft keys and the aaliyah vocal samples worked in a loop. when the full hook is unleashed it's a few bars until they kick the bassline in and you hear her vocal melody being reiterated in the lower end. as the track progresses eventually a few elements creep in and subtly you hear a "think break".
it then makes it's appearence in full when the song goes into a halftime moment with the "think"-break is slowed down a few bars. it then heads into a really distorted bass part of the tension and release of the song. that segment doesn't stay in that long as it heads into a break of sorts where another familiar sound is heard.
a looped part from the intro of souls of mischeaf's classic "'93 'til infinity" becomes the basis of the breakdown along with alex reece's "pulp fiction" drums. the progression out of it also flows perfectly and i like the continued use of the "'93 'til infinity" loop right up where they go back into the distorted bass for one final bass blast. great track.
listen here (soundcloud)
usually i would start talking about the artists at hand but i have no clue on who sean warfield aka dj slip or tej singh aka slide are, you know beyond discogs information. but from that i gather that they were part of a click of canadian drum & bass producers more known as vinyl syndicate, circled around a shop and label with the same name. sometimes the nerdy nature of me kicks in to dig deeper but in this care there is little care to be found beyond my deep liking towards this track.
what i can tell you is that this did trigger the part of my musical taste that likes jump-up drum & bass even though the elitist part of me want so ignore that. as mentioned in my entry of jamie myerson's "everything's gonna be alright" i stand for everything i like. all those inane urban takedown productions like "bad ass", the remix of "jungle brother" and the "rockafella skank" remix, i would go nuts on a dancefloor if someone played them.
this track is golden right from the start with those "n.t." drums and those soft keys and the aaliyah vocal samples worked in a loop. when the full hook is unleashed it's a few bars until they kick the bassline in and you hear her vocal melody being reiterated in the lower end. as the track progresses eventually a few elements creep in and subtly you hear a "think break".
it then makes it's appearence in full when the song goes into a halftime moment with the "think"-break is slowed down a few bars. it then heads into a really distorted bass part of the tension and release of the song. that segment doesn't stay in that long as it heads into a break of sorts where another familiar sound is heard.
a looped part from the intro of souls of mischeaf's classic "'93 'til infinity" becomes the basis of the breakdown along with alex reece's "pulp fiction" drums. the progression out of it also flows perfectly and i like the continued use of the "'93 'til infinity" loop right up where they go back into the distorted bass for one final bass blast. great track.
listen here (soundcloud)
Tuesday 2 April 2013
keoki - majick (yum yum remix)
with most of my musical purchases over the years i have no real distinctive memory other than as i bought it. this falls into the exception as i remember the transaction quite vividly and it comes back as a memory whenever an event like this happens again. i believe this took place in 2006 or 2007 and a few days prior to this event i was in the recordstore at hand. i found the cdsingle for keoki's "majick" as i went in there just on a whim because it was on my route to my usual recordstore.
for the time at hand i didn't have more money at my disposal so i left it there but hidden in a special place so i would go back another time and grab it. sometimes when i'm digging at recordstores i'm quite of an anorak and really not interested in talking to anyone as i'm trying to remember stuff. remember this was before having cheap internet access on your phone and having discogs at your disposal.
as i entered the store, i did actually greet the proprietor of the store in swedish and then i went down to business and started looking. i picked this up along with the cdsingle of the '96 rerelease of the future sound of london's classic "papua new guinea" and some other item. the clerk then starts talking to me in broken english and i just stood there frozen and wondered: "hey, i greeted you in clear swedish about five minutes ago, why are you speaking english to me now?"
sometimes i've haven't cared about the incident but for other times this has happened, i have replied with a witty response in swedish. i understand that sometimes it is a case of tourists walking in and doing the shopping. however seeing as i'm of syriac origin and look the part with black hair, brown eyes and a big nose i am going to cite stereotypes as they have spoken to me in english.
never the less i did take this home and still think about that incident time to time again as i listen to it, also think about how dated certain sounds can be. i knew about the latter thing but i was expecting more than one mix to be playable (without editing that is). the original has it's moments but keoki's vocals ruin the fun electro vibe of it. yum yum's remix is a textbook example of proper driving trance music on the epic edge, even the breakdown with it's telltale sounds of it's time works well.
when i found the single at hand i had a hunch that it was to be the lasting tune of the pack and i wasn't wrong. love the subtle acidlines, the small melody parts and the driving bassline. even keoki's vocals work as yum yum only used the whispered parts. i've certainly had use of this in my sets over the years and i still think it's proper. right on.
buy here (junodownload)
for the time at hand i didn't have more money at my disposal so i left it there but hidden in a special place so i would go back another time and grab it. sometimes when i'm digging at recordstores i'm quite of an anorak and really not interested in talking to anyone as i'm trying to remember stuff. remember this was before having cheap internet access on your phone and having discogs at your disposal.
as i entered the store, i did actually greet the proprietor of the store in swedish and then i went down to business and started looking. i picked this up along with the cdsingle of the '96 rerelease of the future sound of london's classic "papua new guinea" and some other item. the clerk then starts talking to me in broken english and i just stood there frozen and wondered: "hey, i greeted you in clear swedish about five minutes ago, why are you speaking english to me now?"
sometimes i've haven't cared about the incident but for other times this has happened, i have replied with a witty response in swedish. i understand that sometimes it is a case of tourists walking in and doing the shopping. however seeing as i'm of syriac origin and look the part with black hair, brown eyes and a big nose i am going to cite stereotypes as they have spoken to me in english.
never the less i did take this home and still think about that incident time to time again as i listen to it, also think about how dated certain sounds can be. i knew about the latter thing but i was expecting more than one mix to be playable (without editing that is). the original has it's moments but keoki's vocals ruin the fun electro vibe of it. yum yum's remix is a textbook example of proper driving trance music on the epic edge, even the breakdown with it's telltale sounds of it's time works well.
when i found the single at hand i had a hunch that it was to be the lasting tune of the pack and i wasn't wrong. love the subtle acidlines, the small melody parts and the driving bassline. even keoki's vocals work as yum yum only used the whispered parts. i've certainly had use of this in my sets over the years and i still think it's proper. right on.
buy here (junodownload)
Monday 1 April 2013
martina topley-bird - hours away
i saw this single a few years back and it wasn't really the type of cdsingle i would buy, even though i knew damn well who martina topley-bird was. she has a great voice and i like quite a lot of the music that she's outputted but frankly when i looking into bins after singles, i do want to have a number of remixes on it. "need one" is a three tracker with the main track at hand, a single specific b-side and a remix.
fabien waltham's name wasn't known for me until i remembered that he had a remix under his belt of madonna's "the power of good-bye" that was brilliant. it was drum & bass and even though i saw his name along with topley-bird on the credit list of production of the original track, i was still expecting drum & bass. sadly this was not the case but it was a great version where the track has been grittied up.
but i am a sucker for a good bassline and some dreamy atmosphere, basically anything shoegazy without taking it to wanky territories. "hours away" is a great song and the vocal arrangement and the reverbed out sounds has been enjoyed from my side. sometimes taking a gamble on a single pays off even it's not what you expected.
listen here (youtube)
fabien waltham's name wasn't known for me until i remembered that he had a remix under his belt of madonna's "the power of good-bye" that was brilliant. it was drum & bass and even though i saw his name along with topley-bird on the credit list of production of the original track, i was still expecting drum & bass. sadly this was not the case but it was a great version where the track has been grittied up.
but i am a sucker for a good bassline and some dreamy atmosphere, basically anything shoegazy without taking it to wanky territories. "hours away" is a great song and the vocal arrangement and the reverbed out sounds has been enjoyed from my side. sometimes taking a gamble on a single pays off even it's not what you expected.
listen here (youtube)
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