Something for the Weekend II

Another selection of quick reviews for various tracks

Atlantic Ocean - Waterfall 2009 (Bazzheadz Remix) - Score /10
Avoid this at ALL costs. I am not even going to give this a score of zero, as that would be too kind. The remix is terribly produced with the most obvious out of time loops I have ever heard on official release. If you want to know how to ruin a perfectly good song then contact these guys to do a remix !!!

Butcher Boy & Scuba Steve - Hooked On You (Original Mix) - Score 7/10
This release caught my attention straight away and features the classic "hoover" sound made infamous in the mid-90's. This is a fast paced rough ride to the past and although the sound is slightly outdated now I am sure lots of people will be dancing to this track over the next few weeks.

Top Track

Sunchasers - The Real Thing (Danny Corten Remix) - Score 10/10
This is a great song and a worthy remix. This is going to be one of the biggest tunes of the year in the house scene and this remix has classic ibiza styled pianos and the big vocal deliver what of the best classic house tracks I have heard in a long time. Tune in and chill out to this one :) Very close to topping my Top 10 !!!

Enjoy

Vadim Soloviev feat. Marcie Stay With Me

Vadim Soloviev is a promising producer and DJ from Russia and I was intrigued to see what was on offer in this release, not just because he is making a name for himself but also because he is from new generation of producers who will eventually shape the future of dance/trance music in the next few years.

Original Mix - Score 7/10
The original mix starts with a nice groove and slowly builds into the swing of things, with the gentle bass used to carry the track into the first vocal section. The vocals on this track are well sung although the underlying track doesn't really gel with the singers voice. That is the big let down with Stay With Me, the main chorus section is nice and really moves along nicely while never trying to be aggressive, the arrangement flows well separating the different sections in a subtle way, but that first vocal verse section just feels a little disjointed.

Genix Summer Stripped Remix - Score 8/10
This remix has a more tech feel to it, the main feature from the start of the track is the sliced up vocal which is thrown around the mix to good use and delivers a much nicer overall atmosphere than the original mix. The two basslines work against each other to form the groove which is tied together with some very tight drum programming. The breakdown is well thought out and while it is airy and large it makes no attempt to be epic, and when the track kicks back in you will be glad of that! The drop back to the 'peak' of the track is somewhat disappointing, upon careful listening the underlying bassline and drums are very similar to that of Eric Prydz - Proper Education and with a core sound so similar to that perhaps the remix should of been produced a little more carefully.

Mike Foyle Remix - Score 9/10
This is the gem of the pack. A nice upbeat trance track with a simple pounding drumline and bass although the clever editing of the loops helps create some nice movement as the track twists and turns. The production is really well done and the breakdown is intriguing with the vocal turned into some kind of alien language and choppy sounds coming and going, then it all drops to a nice melodic breakdown and the vocal appears in it's original form and the music fits the singing much better than the original. The breakdown is only a short reprieve as the track kicks out to a nice tech sound and complex groove and continues to build steadily. If you are using this in a mix then makes sure you have something special to follow this track with!

Dub Mix - Score 8/10
The dub mix is almost identical to the original in terms of composition and much to my pleasure dropped the entire first vocal section. This has far more impact than you first imagine as now with the absence of the vocal Stay With Me is allowed to breathe and actually comes through as a pleasant trance track. The main synth controlling the groove plays a bigger part of the song in this mix along with the very subtle use of almost unrecognisable vocal elements to carry the whole mix through to the end. Much more satisfying that the original

Overall this is a good release and the different mixes give some nice perspectives on Stay With Me, I still feel a little disappointed that better use wasn't made of the good vocals on offer from Marcie. Mike Foyle's remix might yet make it into my top ten as well, nice solid track :)

Ear Problems Continued

After a brief visit to my local doctor it turns out I have a retracted eardrum that is the cause of my hearing disruption !!! I have been prescribed simple decongestants that should hopefully remedy the problem without any permanent adverse effects.

Adymus A Place Not Far

A Place Not Far shows some great promise for this young label - Fraction Zero. Three mixes on offer and each bring something different to the table

Original Mix - Score 9/10
The original mix is a superbly produced trance masterpiece with a lovely 303 style intro builds up until the melody drops in and the song takes flight, the swaying bassline, twinkly synths and sumptuous lead all come together nicely leaving an uplifting refreshing feel to this mix. The intelligent breakdown is short and sweet and when it all kicks off again you are left in no doubt that A Place Not Far is an outrageously good song. If Adymus can keep producing this level of work then it will become a name you will see a lot. This has got to claim a slot in my Top Ten.

Rob B Remix - Score 7/10
A nice song to drop into a mix. The simple intro builds into a nice steady groove then a phat bassline fills in the empty space. The addition of the twinkling synths from the original add the uplifting floating feeling. Make no mistake though this is a tough tech influenced remix. A Place Not Far has been chewed up and spat out to great effect, something which can be heard best during the lovely breakdown. Unfortunately this remix lacks the magic of the original and really doesn't make the most of all the different elements.

Maarten Hercules Remix - Score 9/10
The first drop in this remix is magical. You can change the entire direction of a mix with a track like this and as if to hammer the point home the swift interlude is greeted by the main body of the song immediately and for this few moments you struggle to keep up with the swirling sounds - in a good way. Almost as quick as you can find your bearings Maarten takes you on a detour through another quite special passage, again the production and creativeness on show is first class. In my opinion this remix only serves to prove how good the original writing was by Adymus.

Overall this is a great record for anyone who is into big moments and the very pinnacle of uplifting trance records for a new era.

Ear problems !

When I woke up this morning I was greeted to a rather unpleasant sound, a dull ringing in my left ear, and after doing a little research on google it is pretty safe to assume that I have some kind of ear infection. I reckon it is the middle ear as there is no real discomfort (yet !) just a disruption to by hearing. I will have to make a trip to the doctors at some stage this week to get it checked out properly.

On the down-side I still have the lengthy task of reinstalling all my software back onto my computer again, something that will take a few days. The most important program to get up and running is of course my beloved Traktor by Native Instruments - the one and only digital DJ application.

Angel Makris Phase One

Original Mix - Score 7/10
Phase One is a more progressive style blended with a touch of the Balearic. The slow steady beat lifts the track into an almost entirely ambient affair and sucks ou in with a beautiful melody, partly ripped off from Braveheart / DJ Sakin - Protect Your Mind. However Angel Makris settled for just the first 3 notes of the melody and has used them quite well to create sometime quite unusual although it would sound great at the beach I am sure :)

John Ilipoulos Remix - Score 4/10
From the lush sounds of the original the Remix couldn't be any further removed. The short percussive sounds and low kick all point to a techno masterpiece. Filled with glitches, blips and weird FX that track grinds along well. Not quite to my taste as the lack of any real melody or "hook" make it hard to grab onto anything and the groove doesn't progress much either.

Overall this release was a little disspointing, after hearing the uplifting qualities on offer in the original I am sure more could of been done with the remix to make a great tune, instead I am left feeling a little flat.

2 Producers Insigma

This is a fine record with 2 nice mixes on show.

Original Mix - Score 8/10
A nice solid introduction makes this a very easy track to drop into any mix and the simple approach to the arrangement opens up lots of possibilities. As for the Song itself it is all based around a sweet melody and all the different elements melt into the background seamlessly. The breakdown has a dissonant quality to it which only serves to emphasize the uplifting main synth line when it arrives.

Alphalifter Remix - Score 8/10
This remix is somewhat deeper than the original and reminds me of some classic German trance labels. Again simplicity is key to the entire track and the sparse mix is filled with several tricks and twists to keep interest. My biggest concern with this track is that the middle section just doesn't build into the climax fast enough and overall the track should probably be a little shorter, which would of delivered more impact in the context of a dynamic mix. As it stands this remix will still make it's way into more than a few record boxes, and could well be a special weapon for some.

Overall a nice package with 2 quite different mixes meaning it feels more like a double A side record. Trance music at it's purest!

Orbital Frame Neith / Solaris

This is a double A side release which is quite a lot more upbeat than some of the recent tracks.

Neith (Original Mix) - Score 7/10
The song verges on psy-trance or goa with a harder edge although the mix is finely balanced and swings from deep to uplifting in an instant and back again. There is plenty of sounds flying around the main synthline and the double break gives the track some nice dynamics. Something about this song reminds me of trance from an earlier era and one artist in particular - The Man With No Name. The track rapidly glides throuhg all it's different guises and keeps driving away in the background, this is the kind of song I love using just before a mix is going to kick off !!! I highly recommend a good listen to this one :)

Solaris (Original Mix) - Score 7/10
Solaris is a much bouncier affair and the phat bassline will keep you coming back for more as it growls under a bed of vocal pads. The track builds slowly and steadly with a nice feel surrounding the main synth riff and the well placed keychanges help lift the track without crowding the mix. All the signs point toward this being a great track, but something just seems slightly out of place and I can see it being hard to find the right place to throw it into a mix. The second half of the track shows a much harder edge with the bassline given some extra treatment but the song just doesn't gel together enough for me to warrant calling it a great song.

Claudia Cazacau Elite

This one is a quick review really, with two mixes on show.

Original Mix - Score 3/10
Quite a minimal sounding song without much atmosphere, but it does have a very solid beat and could be useful as a transition track. I think I might mark this track for a bit of a re-edit and use it in a mix to see what kind of effect it has. The whole song is based on repetition of the main synth sound, which almost resembles a riff !!! Other than this there is nothing to the track and it is a very weak song which is almost guaranteed to clear the dance floor.

Sied Van Riel Remix - Score 6/10
This remix is a joy to listen to after hearing the original, it has a softer beat and more groove. Sied Van Riel has also added a lot of new sounds and atmosphere while retaining some of the original song's elements but blended in a much better way. Unfortunately the added lead line and subtle touches still don't manage to turn this into much more than an average trance track. Once again I see this track having more favour with listeners at home than in a club environment.

Lets hope for some better releases this week !!!

Ron Malakai Memorable Touch

This release is the first on the new label "Cherry On Top" and could prove quite successful for them with the wise decision to bring on a great producer like Carl B who has started to make appearances on many records with good cause. Lets get down to the songs and see if the song is capable of launching a new label !!!

Original Mix - Score 5/10
The original mix is a standard trance track and although both the production and composition of the song are very good and there is not one thing wrong with the track that might be it's downfall for me. The mix shows a lack of ambition to try something unusual and new. The only thing that really catches the ear is the rising bassline towards the changing of sections through the whole song. The track seems to just go by without much fuss and by tomorrow I am sure I will have forgotten all about it, which is not a good sign.

Carl B Remix - Score 6/10
From the start of track we are treated to a much tougher sound with some percussive trickery used the cement a solid groove and the bassline fits well. The main riff comes in quite early in the mix and guides you through the dirty breakdown and into the uplifting drop. The track makes a much larger impact that the original mix and the overall arrangement is better with some clever twists to add interest and dynamics to the song. Like the original however when the track comes together and builds to it's peak there is no real energy and seems almost dissapointing.

Some people will really love this song but in my opinion there is just to many tracks out there that have a similar sound and deliver the goods much better. This isn't a poor relfection on Carl B though as he made a lot of improvements over the original mix.

Sultan And Ned Shepard Did We

A new offering from Vandit and has been inspired by the electro feel doing the rounds at the minute. With 3 mixes including a radio mix there isn't much variety so lets hope the two main mixes do the business !!!

Dub Remix - Score 7/10
This is a measured track that calls on some production knowledge to pull off the minimal arrangement used. The song doesn't disappoint however and the bouncing bassline and lively percussion keep things ticking over while a lush melody builds up and floats through the breakdown. I can see this mix being used by a lot of people as a way to set the mood for the evening, uplifting and very much in the spirit of trance music.

Tyler Michaud Remix - Score 9/10
I love the intro to this track and reckon I will start my new mix CD with this song. The slow intricate building spits out an electro beat and steeps the song with some clever rhythms - quite the opposite to the Dub Remix. The lush melody has been stripped back slightly and given way to the new wave of tech-trance and unlike many efforts at this style of remix Tyler Michaud has succeeded. The mix is fresh and the breakdown simply breathtaking not to mention the outrageously good production and the ability to sway between styles with consumate ease. This track is an essential tune in any decent DJ's box!!!!

I won't even bother covering the Radio Mix here as it is the usual 3-4mins affair and doesn't offered anything over the two very original mixes presented also.

Disaster Strikes Again

I swear someone has it in for me out there !

I came to my computer this afternoon to find it switched off - the first suspicious sign something was wrong - however I hit the power button and sat back thinking it must of just been a random crash. Not quite.

Upon rebooting I was greeted with the BSOD from my Windows XP installation, and when I tried safemode I was getting the same error. The good news is that although it looks like a complete reformat is needed (2 years is not bad for the amount of abuse this computer takes!) the linux partition is working fine and it gave me an excuse to get a new primary hard disk. The current disk is a rather outdated 60Gb Seagate drive, the replacement is a newer 320Gb Seagate drive which gives me a little more space to play with :)

For the record when the new drive arrives I will have a total of 1.4Tb storage and will most likely add a further 500Gb USB drive when money permits, although perhaps when the time comes the external 1Tb drives will be more affordable.

Missing in Action !

I haven't had the chance to post anything on my blog in a while now, mostly due to finally getting my room organised. I have nearly finished painting the room and have everything I need apart from a table/unit for my decks.

I might try to design a bespoke solution for the room in an effort to unite the PC, Mixer, Decks, TV, VCR, Printer, Keyboard, Hi-fi and everything else into a specific layout. Although I don't think the room is big enough to allow many opportunities for this kind of all-in-one approach.

On the upside I also started some new tracks due to the inspirational news that Hooj Choons is returning to the world of music - something that can only be a good sign. Hooj is responsible for my musical education throughout the years with their ability to stay a step ahead of the rest.

I hope to get some music related posts up before the end of the weekend !!!