Page 52 - Zone Magazine Issue 007

MUSIC REVIEWS
Danny Slade [UK] - Dance
House
Techno
Trance
David Penn & Rober Gaez - My Day [Urbana] - Zone Top Tune - 10/10
This release represents a milestone in any labels history as it is their 100th release which means that they must have been putting out some belting tracks to have survived this long, with this one being no being no exception. Hailing from Spain the Urbana label bosses David Penn and Rober Gaez took no chances with their centauran release and penned it themselves to good effect as what you have is an excellent tech infused House monster built round a spoken male vocal sample saying,”Goddamn that DJ made my day, everything that he touched turned to gold.” There is a funky bassline, a clap track led percussion loop with Linndrum samples and groovy elements that make this into a solid floor filler that went down a treat when played out last Saturday at The Rainbow Rooms and will no doubt go down a treat wherever it is dropped by the lucky DJ that had this funk bomb loaded on his memory stick. All that I can do is congratulate them on their excellent work both as label bosses and as producers and say that I am greatly looking forward to hearing what they have on offer for the next hundred releases!? https://soundcloud.com/davidpenn/david-penn-rober-gaez-my-day-sc-edit
Lost In Venice - Moonwalking EP EJ Underground] - Zone Recommended Tune - 9/10
This classy two track release is one of those that really gets under your skin the you the more you listen to it. The title track ‘Moonwalking’ is delicately crafted with layer upon layer of sparse stereo panned percussion and ethereal sounds that just keep building throughout the track into a cornucopia of futuristic sounds that really take you on a journey into your own headspace and the result is quite fabulous. Style wise I would have to take a guess at real progressive house, but genre is not what is important here as it is an emotive and moving slice of electronica which is aptly titled. The other track. ‘Turning Point’ Is slightly tougher and takes a more direct approach with layered synth riffs, tizzy open high hats and a vocal sample that has been so messed around with that the words have become meaningless as they just become part of the mix and again genre wise I would take a guess at futuristic electronic progressive house, but the real thing and not what people sometimes call ‘Big Room’ for want of a better term. These two are far too subtle and expertly crafted and to be honest they really defy pigeon holing which makes it hard to describe this futuristic house release in mere
words alone. No...this release is really something that you ought to hear for yourself.
http://www.kraftedmusic.com
Indian Princess - Electronic Beats [Archangel UK Recordings] - Zone Rating - 9/10
After achieving global success with ‘Someone Like Me’ That was released on Soulcast, the producer ‘Indian Princess’ had to come up with something pretty special and I am glad to report that this three mix release does not disappoint. First up is the Seamus Haji Remix which starts with a clipped breakbeat percussion loop and builds with an electronic bassline, lush pads and vocoded vocal samples. Then there is the Gordon John version which is tougher from the get go with a pounding kick drums, jazzy synth stabs And a neat piano sample that really elevates the track into a real dance floor destroyer and finally you have the Damon Hess & Deep Matter version that has Fender Rhodes style piano samples, a swung drum pattern, a onenote string line to increase the tension and a solid swung electro bassline. All have been road tested and certainly work well on a dance floor and if I had to pick a mix, it would be a closely fought battle with the latter being the winner as that electro bassline really gets the audience pumping. My suggestion to you the readers though is check this one out for yourself as if you don’t get on top of it, you must be crazy! All Stores - 15th January 2016 & Pre-order from iTunes this Friday 18th Dec. https://soundcloud.com/indianprincessmusic
Richard Durand - Art Of Noise [Reloaded Music] - Zone Rating - 9/10
This single track release arrived in my inbox a few days ago and as you do, I pressed play and was instantly transported to a world which I know, love and have fondly missed for a long time as the energy in this release is so instantly infectious (in a good way) that it ought to come with a health warning! It is the follow up to Richard’s first release ‘Face Of Chaos’ on his own new label imprint ‘Reloaded Music’ which was released to rapturous applause in September. To describe the track is almost too easy as it is basically pure energy personified but there is so much going on that that would be selling it short so here goes: Well unlike your typical track with a build up, this drops you band smack in the action from the offing as it starts with so much gusto and verve that you get instantly drawn into this mad techy sci-fi sounding soundscape that is hard and driving but perfectly crafted with acidic sounds, mad vocal effects and crisp percussion. There is a breakdown with a spoken male vocal sample that says some very apt words and then we are off on again on a mad tecchy ride through what you would imagine is the sound of one of the futuristic war scenes from a sci fi film put to music sounds like.There are are not many mould breaking tracks out there these days so if you are a fan of dark, hard tech trance then this track has to be heard to be believed.
http://www.richarddurand.com
Sonny Fodera feat. Yasmin - Feeling You [Defected] - Zone Rating - 8/10
This two mix house release is a great example of how a feelgood track should sound as there are all of the elements of an eminently danceable anthemic track, but it manages to do it without sounding contrived or a cliched in any way. The Club Mix has a full female vocal, a lavish piano and lush pads all built around a slightly swung drum pattern and with a string line to add a bit of tension. The Deep Mix is another full vocal track but with a less commercial edge with a great synth bass riff, warm pad sounds and more sparse percussion than the Club Mix. Both of them have a kind of summery feel but not in the way that it doesn't work in the winter, it just makes you wish that it still was still the summer and you were dancing in some sunset to it, somewhere all warm and chilled out, sipping on a cold one, which is a rare quality. To pick a favourite out of the two is a real challenge as both work so well at transporting you to a place where you really want to be so all I am going to suggest is that you have a listen yourselves as you wont be dissapointed. https://pro.beatport.com/search?q=Sonny+Fodera+feat.+Yasmin%2C+Feeling+You
52 ZONE-MAGAZINE.IE