Sitting here in my Burlington, Vermont hotel room, the warm, high 60s breeze rolling in through the open windows, I'm loving life. Simple, comfortable, pure bliss. In light of these feelings, I feel it's only right to review one of my favorite tracks from Gui Boratto, and maybe of all-time: "Beautiful Life".
On the second "Remixe EP", Gui Boratto turns up with the original 12" mix, a remix of his own, and one more from Berlin producer/DJ and BPitch Control mainstay Sascha Funke.
The original is a beauty. Ten minutes of anthemic, euphoric tech house with a definite ambient house feel. It kicks off with, well, a kick, and a simple, catchy arpeggio that rises and breathes deeper and deeper with each beat, as if life is slowly being drawn back into its body; a dying soul regaining life. A guitar riff creeps in the back, and the main riff is taken on by a trancey, perfectly picked synth, catapulting it into the clouds and allowing the riff to fully soar and inhale the atmosphere around it. The riff never slackens, paving the way for the beautiful vocal line, sung by Boratto's wife. "What a beautiful life, what a beautiful life, what a beautiful love." Simple but poignant. But the music and tone really make you believe what she's saying. No need to read to far into this song. It's beautifully simple, almost irritatingly catchy, and just....perfect. The kind of track that gets stuck in your head and stays there, something you can always return to for reassurance of the right decisions we hope we all make. Absolutely stunning and definitely worth a listen or two.
Gui Boratto's own remix adds an reverbed bell synth to the beginning that rolls, scoops, and flounders along with a lazy swagger that grows into what turns out to be the main riff, applying the kick, snare, and hi-hats at just the right times. The main riff actually doesn't come in for a while, instead being teased with a sparse, glancing rendition of a similar melody using spacey trance chords like the original. Halfway in the vocals drop over Boratto's bouncing bassline while the main melodic element is finally played-out, albeit in a very simple, derivative form. The weird bell synth appears a bit later, spiraling this remix to and fro, with the pseudo-actual melody being teased further, for release that never comes. A little odd, and a little disappointing, as the main riff of the original is half the draw of listening to the track in the first place!
Sascha Funke strips off the ambient wallpaper lining this house, only to refinish it with dark, moody techno wallpaper. The main riff is still present, even more so than in Boratto's remix, and this is definitely a good thing. A punchy bassline butts head with rattling pad and dry-as-bones hi-hat and snare before the main riff rises out the gloom, buoyed by Funke's undulating bassline. The whole track is underscored by a niggling, sly techno feel, very typical for Funke, and definitely geared towards the dancefloor. At about 3 and a quarter minutes, the drums again drop and the main synth riff comes on full force, even more than before. Rippling and pulsing with a vivaciousness and vitality that Funke is completely capable of creating and is known for. An extra guitar line adds a little extra character and melody for the casual observer, and the vocals drop soon after. Funke's drums work wonders under the trancey chords of Boratto's original; more rhythmic and definitely more danceable.
The Original:
Sascha Funke's Remix:
All in all, I recommend the original version for a first listen, and then Sascha Funke's remix for comparison. The original for built for the heart, and Funke's remix retools it successfully for the floor. A great EP, a wonderful song, and a beautiful day. Happy spring everybody.
-NL
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