Page 65 - Zone Magazine Issue 018

house & techno // john ricketts \\ TUNES
Modd – Phangan Dreams EP – Where the heart is [Modd]
With releases on All Day I Dream, Anjunadeep ,The Soundgarden, Kindisch, Akbal and Plastic City, Modd has managed to impress some serious industry heavy hitters. He brings his unique brand of progressive house, electronica and deep house to Where the heart is with this brilliant 3 track EP.
Title track “Phangan Dreams” kicks things off, with its solid deep house drums being the solid foundation of the track. Ethereal vocal pads are layered one upon another, creating a deep soundscape and glitchy percussion over the top. Reverb drenched pads and synths are placed carefully against each other to complement each other whilst giving each other space to breath. Next up “”Edem” slows things down and takes things in a more ethereal direction. A light and airy lead synth line is complemented by deep drums and delicate top line. Alongside this, pads are placed perfectly. Finally “Cyclone” is all about the emotive piano lead and reverbed pads and synths alongside solid drums and minimal use of percussion. A brilliant and emotive EP that is at home, at home, as it is in a club.
https://www.beatport.com/release/phangan-dreams/2109229
TOP TUNE //
Oggie B – The Ritual/The Sound [Interzone Music Club]
Oggie B follows up a number of releases on well-respected labels such as Nervous, Fetch, and Hatching Creatures, Oggie now joins IMC with "The Ritual/The Sound", a double A side that swims to the darker, more left of centre end of the House pool. “The Ritual” is proper old school tribal house. Heavy drums are complemented by tribal drums and a repeating vocal sample that is hypnotic and involving. Piano stabs provide the main melody, and the tribal percussion is all about the groove with this one. Secondly “The Sound” is more of the same. Solid drums and a deep sub bass are accompanied by the female vocal sample. Both these tracks would work well on a packed floor in a sweaty club. Great release.
https://www.beatport.com/release/the-ritual-the-sound/2140316
RECOMMENDED
Benjamin Buttons & D’Lysio – Pretty Fast EP
[Little Festival Records]
Little Festival Records continues to grow and nurture its ever expanding roster of artists with Benjamin Buttons and D’Lysio’s debut offering. With 3 originals and 2 remixes its packed with something for just about everyone. First up “Vibrations” kicks things off, with and emotive arpeggio sitting on top of the solid tech house drums and percussion before the bouncy bassline is brought it. It’s a great contracts and gives great character to the track. Next title track “Pretty Fast”, and again it starts off with a delicate, almost progressive arpeggio. You can tell there are many influenced being drawn from here. The percussion is minimal and the drums are slick. “We are you” rounds off the originals here and is a solid tech house pumper. The drums are heavy and the mood is darkr than the other two track. The bassline is oppressive and the synths and repeating vocal line give an air of tension on the track. Proper heads down stuff. On the remix front Kyle E brings the full on progressive vibes to “Pretty Fast”, giving the track a more mellow feel, whilst still being an effective dancefloor track. Strickland takes on “Pretty Fast” aswell, and takes it in a more techno direction, with driving drums and a chunky, funky bassline that all roll along nicely. Pick of the bunch for me, but overall another outstanding offering from Little Festival Records.
Out on November 17th
JaMerwe, Mig Madiq - Melodic Space [Fade to funk]
South east England based Fade to Funk bring us their 9th release. It’s an intenational collab on a grand scale, with Brazil and South Africa teaming up. This release is filled with a bit of everything, with the original and 3 three nice and varied remixes. First up the original mix is pure old school deep house, with deep chords forming the bass of the track. It reminds me of something Groove Armada would play in the early 2000s, or something you’d hear on an all back to mine cd (Remember them?). Drums are solid and the screeching yet not overpowering lead line all give the track a bit of soul. Label boss Jeff Fader cranks up the energy a bit with his remix, cleverly using all of the elements of the original and crafting into something completely unique. The drums are a bit more techy than the original, and overall the track is a bit more heavy, with a rolling synth line over the top giving the track a rolling tech feeling. Tape Out are next up, and its all about the piano with their version. The drums shuffle and groove along nicely, and a shimmering synth line gives way to the chunky bassline and vocal sample before the pianos are gently eased back in. Proper late 90s early 2000 vibes again with this one. James Brucke strips things back with his remix, with the 909 drums and monotone stabs meaning this again is a more tech house take on things. Great to see where this label is going, putting its own spin on deep house, whilst nodding back to its roots.
https://www.beatport.com/search?q=JaMerwe%2C+Mig+Madiq+-+Melodic+Space
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