Page 47 - Zone Magazine Issue 010

Danny Slade [UK] - Dance
MUSIC REVIEWS
House
Techno
Trance
Orbion vs Iversoon & Alex Daf - I See You [Carnevale di Venezia] - Zone Rating - 8/10
If I am honest, it is a very rare occurrence that I come across a tune that is actually completely different to others of its same genre as lets face it, sounding similar to other tracks is often needed in order for DJs to mix tracks together seamlessly. So imagine my surprise when I came across a Trance track that is completely unique in both mixes, as this tune is.
Gone is the thudding kick drum, the building pads, chord progression and underpinning bassline to be replaced by sounds that to me at least are unique in this genre as the instruments are distinctly of an electro tinged tech nature..
The first track ‘I See You’ builds from an electro kick and bleep track, to risers and more electro synth wizardry to a more normal instrumented break down with piano and vocal samples then straight back to the electro sound array. It is a great blend and sounds amazing turned up really loud.
The other track, ‘Carnevale di Venezia’ is also a little different to the the norm with its mix of instrumentation, and features a breakdown with lush orchestral strings. But again apart from that, its electro tech all of the way with distorted synth riffs and risers a plenty to add tension to the track.
You also get a radio edit of each track and my favourite out of the two main tracks is ‘I See You’ as it just stands out so much from what else I’ve been sent in the last 6 months. http://soundcloud.com/langerecordings/sets/orbion-vs-iversoon-alex-daf-i
Nato Medrado - Go Back/ Raw Track [Scandalo] - Zone Rating - 8/10
This is the second release from Brazilian based artist Nato Medrado on the Scandalo Music label which features two tracks which take influences from the worlds of Techno, House and Old school Acid. There was no press release with the track so I don't have a lot of background on it which is sometimes better as it lets the music do the talking instead.
‘Go Back’ Is a laid back slow burner which starts with dripping tap samples and what sounds like samples of somewhere being trashed and builds with a church organ sound chord progression into a laid back almost jazzy breakbeat breakdown with many crazy synth effects and a deep bass synth underpinning it all. It is hard to describe such an avant garde record but it is indeed a good one!
‘Raw Track’ is about the same tempo and again uses some leftfield samples to very good effect. There is an analogue synth line, a funky bassline, distorted guitar samples, a clap track and a spoken vocal chant. It isn't as polished as ‘Go Back’ and I suspect that the crackling sound in the background is there to give it a further ambiance.
If I had to put it into a genre I would say Deep Tech House but this release isn't just about pigeonholing. Both tracks work on many levels and are suitable for playing to many different audiences and ones that will appreciate its diversity of sound and of approach to making a jolly decent release. https://soundcloud.com/scandalomusic/sets/nato-medrado-go-back-scandalo
Dogstare & Olaa - Strange Times [No monsters Music] - Zone Rating - 8/10
This release is the second one on the ‘No Monsters Music’ label and comes in the form of an Original and a Remix and genre wise, it sits somewhere between house and techno.
First up is the ‘Original’ with a breakbeat feel and the vocal put through many effects and which builds minimally as the vocal develops and the track unfolds into a techno workout with introspective words from Olaa about a time where she felt that, “music had left her soul and she had lost her beloved techno and house spirit.”
The other mix is by ‘Askani’ and is more on a tech house tip and starts with a kick drum, clap and bleep pattern and again heavily features the vocal, but this time it is cut up and repeated throughout the track. There is the edition of a stabbing synth pattern and the whole track is a real heads down groover that works great out on the dancefloor which is where it counts.
Both tracks are well produced and its nice to hear some raw emotion channelled into the positive form of good music. If I had to choose a favourite mix it would have to be the ‘Askani Remix’ for its no nonsense approach and ebullient grooves that instantly grab your attention and keep it for the length of the track. https://soundcloud.com/nomonstersmusic/dogstare-olaa-feat-olaa-strange-times-original-mix
Mr Jefferson - Ghetto Funk EP [Desert Hearts Records] - Zone Rating - 8/10
This four track tech houser comes courtesy of Spanish based producer ‘Mr Jefferson’ who has a stalwart reputation for pumping out some seriously grooving funk laden nuggets over the last few years, with this release being no exception.
First up is ‘Ghetto Funk’ which starts with a kick and click drum pattern and brings in a funky bassline and male spoken samples saying ‘ghetto funk in the house’ and very quickly develops into a funky tech masterpiece. It is quite minimal and as with a lot of tracks its simplicity is the key to its greatness.
Next we have ‘Acid Sauce’ which builds with tiers of electro percussion and crazy vocal samples to a mid section with 303’s, whooshing noises and a number of breakdowns then ‘Shuffle Anthem’ which is another funk workout with detuned drums, snappy percussion a wobbly funk bassline that underpins the whole track and hip hop influenced vocals.
Lastly we have ‘Generation’ which has a crazy synth intro, an electro bassline and is based around an american sampled speech about elements of war and american culture which has been aurally messed up to very good effect.
All four tracks would be suitable for single release in their own right so this selection of tracks is a good one. As for the choice of a preferred cut, I have to choose ‘Ghetto Funk’ as ‘The Funk’ is strongest in this one and I am a lifelong sucker for anything that is funky.
https://soundcloud.com/insomniacevents/track-of-the-day-mr-jefferson-ghetto-funk
Various Artists - Dyed Sounds Vol 1 [Blue Dye] Zone Rating - 8/10
This release is a sampler from ‘Dyed Sounds’ and features tracks by the following artists; DJ Mau Mau, Franco Junior, DaZZla, Thomas Raffler, Oru, Justin Pak, Lazor, onetwofour, Atalaya Master & Abel Suarez, Starskie & Hagi and Nik Woodward.
Stylewise it is a mixture of cool deeper and minimal House meets burning peak-time House grooves, next to some more futuristic and experimental Tech House and there are some seriously good grooves in this package.
My favorite is the opening track by ‘Justin Pak’ called ‘Fire’ which is a retro houser with a kick drum and conga intro which leads to a one note string line and a female vocal with some majestically funky bass and a breakbeat sample in the chorus.
This is followed by a track by ‘onetwofour’ called ‘Phone Sex’ which is a minimal house tune which has a percussive intro which leads to a female spoken phone sex conversation which is XXX rated throughout and works a treat on the dance floor.
Then you have a Tech House tune by ‘Lazor’ called ‘True Emotion’ Which really pops with finger clicks, male spoken vocals and a staccato synth bass line...and so on and so forth for the rest of the sampler.
There isn't a bad track on there which is a testament to the labels discernable quality and there are nine tracks in total. I’ll be honest, I have never heard of the label before but I will sure be looking out for it in the future! https://soundcloud.com/bluedye
ESSENTIALDANCEMUSIC 47