Panorama Bar 01] Cassy

Every musical movement has a moment. A point in time when everything crescendos; the mood, the groove, the music, it all peaks. It is in this single moment that can make or break the movement; think of it as a journey, scaling a mountain, for instance. One can either successfully reach the peak, or fall behind, overshadowed by the mountain's wake. The mix cd is a format almost tailor-made for this moment, investing a good three-quarters of an hour towards a single moment of musically, physical, and emotional ecstasy that requires that prerequisite time investment. The mountain is much the same story: it's hard to get straight to the top. To get there, one must climb. And usually, the summit is always in sight. Such is not the case for the mix cd. All one can do is allow the groove to cradle you in its gossamer, sinuous arms and hope it carries you to a better place. What truly makes a mix great? For me, it comes in the realization of climax, knowing the moment at the moment it drops, gleaning from it that monumental feeling of joy, tapping straight into the groove itself for your own slice of heaven.
One such mix that delivers on this difficult-to-recreate moment is Cassy's premier mix for Panorama Bar. Released in August of 2006, the Panorama Bar resident's mix dips its toes in minimal techno, microhouse, and deeper, dubbier tech house for the mix's 70+ minute runtime. Otherworldly voices, slithering bass, and dubby textures permeate every corner of the mix, and Cassy's mixing skills are completely up to snuff. The true joy of a mix cd (besides the aforementioned peak moment) is the inability to notice the track change until its already happened. As one continuous piece of music, it is always a testament to the mixer's skills if one is unable to pick out, with ease, the moment the next track segues in. At the same time, it must also be obvious enough that it catches your attention: useless is a mix that runs a single groove and goes nowhere with it. Luckily, Cassy does not run into this problem at all, and she expertly steers this mix from Shackleton's post-dubstep masterwork "Blood On My Hands" into deeper, spacier territory in DD5's dubby "Sides Of Space" and Thomas Melchior's deep minimal cut "Let's Go Deep".
This brings us to track selection, an always crucial element of any mix, seeing as the format basically comes down to a shortened, pre-made DJ set. With 24 tracks in total, and not a single one running for more than four minutes (by a few seconds that is) Cassy's choices range from eclectic (Norm Talley's soulful house remix of "Believe", DJ Abstract's glossy, stuttering "Touch") to blissfully deep (the Melchior and DD5 tracks) to straight-up techno (Redshape's metallic, spacey "Pink Dust", Mathias Kaden's bubbly, groovy "Pentaton") to, well, even dubstep. Cassy's crate runs deep, and her tracks go a long way to creating a seamless, bubbly, and flexible groove.
Themes differ from mix to mix, and it's sometimes hard to tell where a mix is going if the mixer doesn't make it immediately clear where they are headed. However, that lack of knowledge can sometimes go a good distance in holding your attention to the mix, curiosity becoming f]your primary motivation to listen and not the groove itself. Everything in moderation, as they say. A balance of both of these, for me, is what makes a great mix. And as previously noted, Cassy moves deftly from one corner of techno to the other in the span of five or so tracks, and the groove is never interrupted. She keeps you guessing, but never stops your feet from moving. The sign of a great mixer and a splendid mix, indeed! The groove floats along melodically, supported minimally to a steady plateau of involvement, never getting in the way of the bass or the drums, the true masters of the groove here. I listened to this mix as I took a nap and I could feel the bass as I slept. Hypnotic, sharp, and so damn groovy, Cassy's track selection will do a number of your feet, ass, and head. Hopefully all three at the same time. The groove never falters but the mood swings around a bit, giving the mix some character and personality for the dancefloor.
And that peak moment I discussed before? As I napped, the bass suddenly stopped, and some filtered hi-hats came in, swirling around one another as a synth crept into the background before the heavy, firm groove dropped back in. I bolted up and rewound the mix. That was the moment, the middle of Mathias Kaden's "Pentaton", the beginning of a thick, techno-heavy peak that trails off into a shimmering finish. Cassy's mix stands as the one to beat for me, how to do everything in a mix right. The mixing, the track selection, the peak, the groove, everything is done to a tee with skill and appreciation of the craft and the raw materials. Alone, these tracks are simply dance tracks. Together, they are a movement, a story, a groove. That, in the end, is the point of a mix, bring together many to make one, and do something with it, whatever it might be. Make it groove, make it sing, make it snarl, make it explode. As we close this storybook, remember that in the world of electronic music, the most important tool in your arsenal is the groove. Cassy has mastered it, judging by this mix. May the groove be with you.
-NL

Sor & Since We Last Met

It's been too long, friends. Sorry 'bout that. In college now, up at the lovely University of Vermont, and loving every second of it. Let's get down to business now, eh?

The first track I'd like to highlight is an oldie, but one I only recently stumbled across. It's from Chris Liebing's own label, CLR, which is known for boisterous, abrasive hard techno. This cut comes from German producer Tommy Four Seven, and it is by far the hardest-edged techno cut I have ever heard. So dense and so thunderous a tune this is, it literally sounds as if the track is coming apart at the seams. Interestingly, only occasionally does this track rely on a 4/4 drum pattern, giving it a deeper, slower, more ominous mood. The main riff, if you could even call it a riff, sounds like angry, warped white noise trapped in some kind of subspace; desperate for attention but unable to get but a few growls and snarls out. The bassline is gnarled, taut, and monstrous, an entity all its own. An apocalyptic death-march that snarls, barks, and grinds the very membrane of your skull, this is only for those few who truly enjoy techno: this is the outer limits of danceable, down-to-earth techno.



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This next track is a huge standout for me, a deep minimal disco gem that floats above headspace with a beautifully simple, honey-sweet synth riff that, however simplistic, gets stuck in your head and creeps through your body like some kind of heavenly virus. Go figure. Written by NDF (Sergio Giorgini & Bruno Pronsato) "Since We Last Met" takes gossamer synths, a flitting flute sample, a simple bassline, and a few other simple effects to create a gorgeous aural palette of music that drifts for a little over ten minutes. From time to time a disembodied voice will wander into the soundscape (which sounds like it was partly recorded in a train station) and utter a few simple verses with a similarly ethereal voice. The original is a poignant, deep, and utterly beautiful minimal deep disco cut that will remain on my chill-out playlist for a good long while. Multiple plays recommended.



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Ricardo Villalobos himself turns up on the flip to remix the original (On DFA, no less?!) and any fan of RV knows what to expect: a deep, snaking journey of organic minimal techno, and that's just what we get. Villalobos builds the groove almost right out of the gate, layering a plinking keyboard with buzzes and blips of the original's minimally lush background. Simple hi-hats compliment the rest of the sound before the vocals drop in. Before, where they stood as compliments to the atmosphere, they juxtapose it here to great effect; ghostly voices drifting slowly in and out, lost with no rhythm or sense of direction. From time to time the original's main riff lingers in, if only for a few seconds, before being submerged in atmosphere and those deep drums. A 17-minute journey, this remix might not have as much of an impression or growth as other Villalobos mixes, but its minimally chilled aesthetic and simple groove make it a worthy addition, and a great home listen or afterhours cut.






Will post more later. On to work.
-NL

Cocoon Compilation G

Here it is. 2007. G.



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My My - Fast Freeze = Playhouse boys My My turns up for the first track, a slow-burning, viscous little tech house bumper. An arpeggiated, fluttering synth line wiggles around amongst forlorn, somehow sensual groans and a light string section that paints a beautifully varied soundscape where, despite not much sound, a lot is going on. My My works their magic best when they're shoehorning detail in a minimalist work. This is wonderful microhouse (minimal house) and a great way to kick off a Cocoon Compilation.



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Cobblestone Jazz - W = Wagon Repair regulars Cobblestone Jazz burst out of the gate with a niggling little acid bassline and synths that seem to groan hopelessly from the pit the bassline has dragged them into. Hollow yelps jump out here and there, but it builds a churning, masterful rhythm that seems poised on the edge of slipping over into something greater at anyone moment. Soaring, heavenly pads soon enter the mix, building tension and atmosphere beautifully. Congas (?) thump in next, and what you soon have is a beautifully constructed piece of ambient minimal house, fraught with detail, ambiance, and rhythm that anchors it firmly on the early-morning dancefloor. A definite early highlight. That main ghostly vocal riff…it's quite addicting. Just saying.



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Chaim - Genesis = Genesis is an awful big term to use for your track. That being said, Chaim's 'Genesis' gets off to a typical tech houser start, humming, deep pads and a steady bassline before bringing in a goofy, plodding melody that sounds fairly out-of-place. Halfway in, the larger part of the melody staggers in, brushing up violently with some white noise that makes it waver and jar quite uncomfortably. Odd brushes and toms are brought in at this point, and by the end, what you've got is an interesting little tech house number on your hands. Much like a few of the tracks from Compilation F, however, the main problem is the main riff is neither catchy nor memorable. The rhythm and drum production are fine enough but without that crucial element, this is nearly seven minutes of tech house that really goes nowhere.



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Stephan Bodzin - Treibsand = German producer Stephan Bodzin, a fairly well-known name in the German scene, dusts off (literally) this deep, thunderous tech house cut that features a monstrous bassline, a rough-around-the-edges feel that suits it well, a liberal usage of sandy hi-hats and ominous hisses to good effect. A beautiful, gossamer pad is brought in to cover the whole affair in a glossy, almost progressive sheen. And let me tell you, it works. This reminds me of Pig & Dan's amazing remix of Beroshima's 'Horizon', a ghostly, thin progressive tune that got torn right down the seams to reveal the monster underneath. Although this track doesn't exactly have the most memorable of lines or elements, the atmosphere really draws you in, and the end result is a deep tech house cut that pleases with its snarling bassline and overall mood. Another early highlight; recommended.



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Tiefschwarz - Lionel = The German Get Physical boys open their track with a bouncing, whining synth that seems to deepen with each beat. Whooshes are here in plenty, building the foundation for a drop that gives the track a WHOLE lot more bounce, as minimal and holdback as it is. Tiefschwarz employ this bouncing mechanic ad nauseum, in my opinion, with glitched-out sound effects, plinks, and bleeps of all sorts into a minimal house track that could've been a bit more than it is right now. The drop works well, and on a giant system it'll work magic, but form there, the momentum is kind of lost, only near the end does the track really get ominous and start to go somewhere, but by then it's too late. Still recommended, but withhold judgment until the very end.



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Marcel Dettmann - Sepia 807 = Ostgut Ton player and MDR boss Marcel Dettmann layers his track right from the start with eerie pads and a heavy, mechanized computer mood. This is the skeletal minimal he is known for in full effect. Dark, robotic, and stripped-back, Dettmann rattles the cage a few times, but for the most part this is a subtle, subdued record for him: this be no 'Quicksand', friends. The melodic element is quite eerie and works well with the whole atmosphere: haunting, the faintest organic life-form within this tangled web of wires and bleeps and beeps. However, the line just ain't solid enough for the track. The atmosphere here weaves itself beautifully, and the production is A-grade, just like Dettmann usually makes, but the man has always had trouble with melodies and catchy bits. His best tracks make the atmosphere the catchy part, and that's when he shines. But here, his luster is decidedly, well, lackluster.

Marcel Dettmann - Sepia 807

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Aki Latvamäki - Tämä Tuli Järvestä = This right here is a very interesting track. A more metallic, underwater sound than last summer's 'Sea of Sand', this track pulses and ebbs and flows with the rhythm, like some kraken of the deep patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. The main melodic element is kind of catchy, but ti grows on you as the track progresses. An expertly crafted bit of tech house that hides much depth and detail without sounding too 'full'. The drop of the kick makes this a certified late-night track, a good builder. Also a great listen with headphones. Warped, dark, liquid, this is a unique track from, at least in my experience, a fairly unknown producer. Can't wait to see what Aki is releasing lately!



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Audion - Fire = Matthew Dear turns on the heat with his entry, 'Fire'. A bubbling, angry little track, 'Fire' features a slow build and some trancey chords that sound, honestly, odd, but they kind of work. They counterpoise the dark nature of the intro synths, in a faux-heavenly manner that darkens the track even more. The drum production here is expert, of course, and the rhythm that feels stripped-back, but it's enough to anchor the track and let the chords soar as more and more are poured on. Liberal use this is not. A sizzling tech house cut is what you get by the track's end, and a middle-of-the-road highlight for sure.



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Phil Kieran - I Think I'm A Monster = Cocoon regular Phil Kieran follows with a track that kicks off with a pulsating, radar-esque synth blip, while hi-hats patter lightly underneath it. A lonely, melancholy synth can be heard in the background, slowly rising into range. An equally forlorn, yet much darker, synth enters, creeping along slyly, unnoticed until it's smack in your eardrum. Kieran's melody is memorable for its creepy nature and semi-complexity. It's enough to get you to listen, but the effect is not lost WHILE you listen. A man's garbled cries mix with the synth line in a dark tone that recalls the track's very title. I love it when this happens. It's the very nature of the track that harkens back to the title; a creeping, uncertain number that builds in anxiety and fear before asking the question: am I really a monster? By 4:30 we have the answer: I am a monster. It's a dark, twisted take on tech house that does much in almost seven minutes, and while it's not very danceable, it's great for a headphone listen and more an appreciation of what it makes to produce this stuff. Metallic, deep, dark, yet somehow straight-forward, this is a great track and a wonderful follow-up to Dear's track.



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Jamie Jones - Harajuku = Crosstown Rebels and Freak n' Chic regular Jamie Jones lends his hand of deep house to his cut, 'Harajuku'. Deep, pulsating pads and a light maraca shake give the track an immediate deep house feel. The kick drops, and we have on our hands a wary, cautious note of depth that soon spirals out of control, with a synth that winds itself up higher and higher. However, the whole time, everything firmly grounds itself down on Earth, nothing here is over-the-top or extreme. And that's perhaps to Jones' benefit. At about 2:30, a spacey, warped synth line enters out of the ether, and it's a catchy little number. This deep house number just got launched into the stratosphere, as deep as it paper-thin, this line fits quite well on the whole package, and gives the track some cosmic spice and depth it wasn't necessarily missing, but will be better for having. A great track, a highlight, even, and a nice change of pace from the previous cuts of microhouse and fiercely minimal tech house. Hats off to Jamie Jones.



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Onur Özer - Halikarnas = Vakant man Onur Özer spices up his number with a Middle-Eastern melody (he is from Turkey, after all) and lots of echo and reverb, giving his cut an unheard-of depth. The tribal feel here is thick, layered, and majestic in its mystery and intrigue. A vocal line is even brought in; the Middle-Eastern flavor hangs like a thick fog over this track, but it's a great builder and a solid dance number. Less atmosphere for more flavor is never a bad sacrifice, and in this case, its done perfectly. Rhythm feels solid, and the instruments used are out of the ordinary. Unique and flavorful, this track is a solid cut in any manner and deserves a spot on your decks.



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Deetron - Maguma = Rekids man and resident Swiss producer Deetron lays on his flavor of Detroit techno all over the last track, 'Maguma'. Brushed-out hi-hats and a solid kick layer the 8-bit-esque melody and the humming, pulsing pads that run side-by-side it. The common two-note synth riff of so many techno and tech house cuts follows, and the track builds from there, a robotic beast with a soft side that comes from the pizzicato string section underneath it all. An acidic synth line follows the break, and the momentum sort of stagnant. The string section jumps all over the place, and the track, before one final rattling build, finishes off. Not exactly a disappointment, but not the best track on here by any stretch. Still pretty good though, with an ending build that makes up for the lousy break.

Deetron - Maguma

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Is Cocoon Compilation G better than Cocoon Compilation F? Depends on your perspective. I would say yes. There are less spectacular tracks here, but the overall package is better than F as a whole. But who am I to say? Make your own judgments! That is all. H coming up soon.
-NL

Cocoon Compilation F (Also, sorry for not posting in a long time...)

Back again! This time with a...massive review. Cocoon Compilation F. Let's get to it.

Every year, techno label Cocoon Recordings releases a Compilation that features twelve new tracks for the summer season from a variety of famed and unknown producers. F was 2006, so let's get to it. All 12. Let's go.

Pier Bucci - Danielle's Dream (miscredited here as Junk) = Formulaic, driving tech house with an eye for minimalism. It pops, drips, oozes robotic structure and sounds very…Cocoon. Dark, bubbly, yet a playful aura pervades, and the track has undeniable bounce to it. Drunken, spastic in places, but propels you headlong into Cocoon's latest summer compilation.



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Guido Schneider - Animism = Cocoon and Poker Flat producer Guido Schneider turns up with a pliable, tribal minimal tech house cut that features a synth line that sounds like the sound of a metal sheet being bent to and fro before being pitched up, and then down…and then with some flange and reverb thrown on. It's an eerie effect, to be sure, but it just…doesn't completely work. The track has a great vibe without it, rolling, rollicking tech house with an emphasis on the 'roll'. The pattering toms build the tribal feel, and halfway through, the track almost transforms, shot headlong into a warped, metallic jungle with all manner of mechanized flora and fauna throughout. Organic meets robotic here, and it turns out to be a pretty good track. Hats off to a producer who doesn't always have the best productions, to be fair.



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Adam Proll - Fetch My Blades = An early highlight and one of my favorite tracks off this particular compilation. The bassline is pure genius; deep and subby beyond belief, it chugs along like an analog torpedo, with a raw, blistering audacity that threatens to tear the track in two. One of my favorite basslines ever, I might argue. Match that with fairly held-back drums, liberal use of clipped vocals, an 8-bit line that's pure magic, and metallic little plinks and clinks that round out the drum production. This is another tech house monster, but more in-your-face than the other tracks so far. Doesn't overstay it's welcome either. Highly recommend this one from a definite up-and-comer. oh, by the way, the breakdown is pure white noise bliss.



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Johannes Heil - One = Not to be confused with Swedish House Mafia's simplistic masterpiece, this Johannes Heil cut is a minimal mini-'beast', if you coiled even call it that, with an electro-influenced synth riff that's, well, bad. Maybe it's the fact that it is coming after 'Fetch My Blades', but the riff is neither memorable nor the best produced bit of work on here. The oddest sound effects are used too, with eerie, wavering howls and ghostly noises coming and going like an late-evening July breeze. The riff is techno, the drums are tech house, and the sound effects are dub techno. This track tries to do different things behind a weak riff. It's a death sentence in my book. Unimpressive, as dancefloor-driven as it is, and an unfortunate misstep for the compilation.



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2000 And One - Tropical Melons = Turn your flanger on max. This is a driving, warped tech house cut from '100% Pure' boys 2000 And One. Unfortunately, this cut also suffers from the last track's problem: where's the memorable element? The synth riff twists, bends, and partakes all manner of aural madness, but usually this effect is best employed when the riff is, at the very least, catchy! (See Radio Slave's remix of Josh Wink's "Stay Out All Night") That being said, skip this one. Not worth your time, maybe beyond one listen. Another misstep on a compilation that needs to fast redeem itself.



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Gregor Tresher - Full Range Madness = Great Stuff regular Gregor Tresher blows right out of the gate with an interesting melody that seems to have one foot in the Orient with the other in 1980s Euro-pop. The bassline is raw like freshly cut beef, and the electro-tinged synth line, surprisingly…works. The tempo is fast enough to make this a halfway-decent track. However, Tresher seems to get ahead of himself, and tries to lay on too many elements and too many 'musical' aspects. This is techno for God's sakes! The melody, however interesting, is not actually that memorable, and besides that super-acidic bassline, this track has little else to offer. But it's headed in the right direction! There's even a little medieval Europe in this bad boy. Wow. Speechless.



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Andreas Kauffelt - Every Morning = This is a Kompakt-sounding cut from German producer Andreas Kauffelt. It suffers from the problems of the latter: interesting melodic element that's…not memorable or catchy. This affair is much spacier, lucid, almost, but firmly grounded in techno, as the rhythm and drums will attest. The breakdown beefs up the low-end, and goes 8-bit blip on us without doing anything really special or extraordinary. Another slab of mediocre vinyl. Shucks.



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Mathew Jonson - Sub-Atomic = Finally. The lull has been broken. From the outset, 'Wagon Repair' regular and one-third of Cobblestone Jazz's Mathew Jonson turns in a deep, psychotic tech house cut with a snaking melody that is ACTUALLY memorable. The bassline is simplistic and fits the mold of this cut well. THe instruments used, i.e. the warped, freakish synth and the oscillating background pads, they work magic. This is ambient tech house to a tee, an excellent track with a hint of Middle-Eastern magic to it. Recommended much.



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Guy Gerber & Shlomi Aber - Sea of Sand = The B-side is just as amazing. Go figure. Guy Gerber and Shlomi Aber team up to deliver an ambient techno cut unlike any other. As deep and fluid as it is sharp and watertight in its production, Gerber and Aber go above and beyond with popping bubbles, whooshes of water, and a shimmering, ethereal synth riff that SOUNDS like techno underwater. Dreamy, lucid, with a main riff that literally sounds like bubbles, this groove breaks the fall from grace of this compilation in one fell swoop. Highly recommended, this is a track with no equal. Ambient techno at its peak.



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Serafin - Liquid Daydream = Serafin turns up on the A-side of the next vinyl record to drop 'Liquid Daydream', a creepy, surreal ambient cut that sounds oddly like…'Sea of Sand'. The dose of atmospheric ooze injects more flavor this time around, but half the time, there's no melodic element. Which you kind of need, even in a techno cut. When it IS present, it's applied well, drifting in and out slyly and warily. A decaying bell sound is brought in, as warped and dissonant as the rest of the elements it surrounds. This is certainly similar to 'Sea' but it's still different; a perky horn riff, more atmosphere, and much less drum production steer this one away form the dancefloor…which is counter-intuitive. Odd. A good track, but it cannot hold a candle to 'Sea' in any manner.



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David K - Dissonance = The final vinyl record begins with a number from Cocoon's own David K. A floating, paper-thin pad drifts lazily under a great intro drum pattern, before a fat, beefy bassline rolls in to shake things up. The problem here is, nothing is down with the track, only after 3 minutes does a eerie, simplistic string section swell and then…fade. What? This track is called 'Dissonance', but…there is none. There are not even enough elements to create it! An odd track to say the least. Ambient without atmosphere, but a solid drum pattern that goes nowhere, and a squelching, acidic main riff that does nothing at all really. Disappointing.



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Alex Smoke - If You Mean It = Vakant regular Alex Smoke turns up for the final track, a wheezing, lazy minimal cut that would be right at home on Vakant. But the addition of a flavorful guitar riff makes this one a little interesting. This track gains a bit of momentum, and adds a little bounce and vibe. The noise is sparse, but the musicality, lush. The guitar riff is the anchor, before Smoke goes glitch and cuts up the background into a sputtering, epileptic beast of a track that builds, well, nothing really. The breakdown is light minimal flare, and this is a huge sputter for the last track on a Cocoon Compilation. Light, minimal tribal-esque, almost, that goes nowhere with some interesting elements. Only at the end does a gliding, deep pad begin to make something interesting out of nothing, but it's too late by then. An even bigger disappointment.



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Save for a few tracks, Cocoon Compilation F tries depth with a minimal flare, but lacks the memorable riffs to pull off much. Much disappointment will be found here, save for three great tracks from Adam Proll, Mathew Jonson, and Guy Gerber & Shlomi Aber. Check back soon for my review of Cocoon Compilation G!
-NL

Pryda - The End

Leading to the release of MOUSEVILLE014 on Wednesday and PRYDA018...soonish? Here's Pryda's newest track as it was dropped on Pete Tong's radio show on Friday.

Holy smokes. Classic Pryda. Need I say more? Take a listen...



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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-NL

New JOTS and Nacho Lovers?!!?

Last week, new Jokers of the Scene and Nacho Lovers singles dropped on Fool's Gold. Let's check 'em out!!!

"Revolting Joks" is classic JOTS: wonky, sickeningly abrasive, full of bass, and unabashedly menacing. The track kicks off with a spastic snare and ever-so-deep kick, before bringing a wavering synth to the forefront along with the angry, gyrating snare. The menace never lets off, and things continue to spiral out of control, before the main synth line kicks in: a jarring, wobbling whine of a synth that snarls with a sickeningly powerful agony. It, too, grows, before everything rises and....white noise washes everything away to reveal the kick and the more focused, more aware synth line that snarls with a ferocious tenacity reminiscent of something Crookers or Bob Rifo might drop, only slower and more coherent. At this point, cheesy old movie piano steals the main riff and razor-sharp alarm stabs send this track into sensory and sonic overload, before it kicks into full-on rave dance mode. Amazing. Another beautifully unstable cut from Fool's Gold's Canadian standbys.

Revolting Joks by Jokers of the Scene

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On the flip-side, relative new-comer Boy 8-Bit weaves an equally creepy, yet arguably more powerful version of the JOTS original. Immediately he employs an even deeper kick, cutting up the main synth line with a more structured vision. Bringing in machine-gun snares and a goofy flute riff, Boy 8-Bit's version is still pure chaos. Ramshackle drums thud against the wavering flute line while the snare rattles away with an energy and drive the original only demonstrated near the end. The main synth riff slices and dices itself to a haunting shell of its former self, all the while propelled by the ever-present kick and snare combination. In the end, Boy 8-Bit removes the growth and menace of the original in favor of a more static, more dancefloor-ready approach that makes madness out of the drums, not out of the synths. My preferred version.



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The Nacho Lovers new single, "Deeper", comes with a slew of remixes, but let us check out the original first. Light, indie dance drums start off things, with some otherworldly plinks, plonks, and blips filling out the empty space. A hollow voice echoes "Deep deep deep deep..." while a majestic synth outlines the melody the track will warp around. Another round of pads bounce playfully off the main melody as the track bounces along in a wonderful marriage of deep house and nu disco. Further on, a short bridge of 8-bit bleeps and light guitars highlights the lax, playful aura the whole track exudes. Merry, deep, and just straight-up happy, "Deeper" is exactly what it says and more. A late-night crowd-pleaser for sure.

Nacho Lovers "Deeper" from Adam Beck on Vimeo.

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The first remix is that of fellow Canadian CFCF, who waters down the entire track into a lush, soaking-wet deep disco cut. A deep, echoing kick highlights his mix, with hints of the main melody rising and falling through the mist, warped completely with reverb and an glittering oscillation that douses the track underwater before bringing it up to breathe. Once in a while, the piano breaks through the clouds and shimmers for a moment before fading off into the clouds once again. Finally, CFCF brings in a rubbery synth line that solidifies the track a bit more while letting the 8-bit line bounce and groove around. Near the end, the piano comes in full force and the track becomes a glittering, sunbathed deep disco jam, complete with a rock solid groove and those wonderfully watered-down drums. A solid remix indeed, and perhaps best suited for early-morning wind-down sets.



http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Nacho_Lovers/track/Deeper_CFCF_Remix

(DOWNLOAD IT FREE (and legally) FROM RCRDLBL!!)
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Mike Mind of Turbo Recordings come on next with a more minimal, more self-aware cut that strips away the ambience in favor a warped, wonky synth line that rides the slow, patient rhythm with a calmness and focus the other tracks lack. Stark, haunting, and a bit more acid house influenced, despite the slow tempo and lack of sound, when compared with the other cuts. A decent remix, but by far not the best.

Deeper (Mike Mind Remix) [clip] by Nacho Lovers

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The final mix is Azari & III's spacey disco rework that injects a little Dam-Funk into the track, making it groove and bounce with renewed vitality. When the other remixes took the deep, slow route, Azari & III opt for a quicker, funkier, spacier cut that, while equally deep, makes the track a bit dancier and more abstract. Probably my second favorite version of the original, behind CFCF's wonderful mix. Lots of effects, lots of funk, lots of groove. Love it.

Deeper (Azari & III Remix) [clip] by Nacho Lovers

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Rock on, friends.
-NL

I Lost Myself In the Ether...

Let's kick things back into rhythmic overdrive with Reboot's new "Rambon EP" on Cadenza.

The A-side, "Rambon", features a slick, churning kick with a perfectly flittering synth line that has been hung out to dry amongst the clinking of glasses and plates and light orchestral music, as if this cut was recorded in the kitchen of the Bellagio. Reboot has a penchant for marrying the robotic with the organic, and this track is definite credence to that fact. The rhythm feels natural and lucid, nothing is forced upon the listener in any way. Add in watered-down hi-hats and the tried-and-true 'gravel clap' and you have yourself another tech house gem from Reboot. But the magic does not end here. About halfway in, Reboot, a.k.a. Frank Heinrich, unleashes a snaking steel drum line that drunkenly staggers through the track, fading and rising at the drop of a hat. It's an odd tactic, but the ethereal quality it brings with it counterpoises the dense drum production beautifully, the end result turning out to be a glossy, rhythmic tech house cut that strays from the minimalistic to the ambient, organic techno that Cadenza is known for. Beautiful background music or dance music, either way you spin it.



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On the flip, Cadenza head-honcho Luciano turns up to remix Reboot's "Uruana". Having not heard the original, I cannot speak to what Luciano alters here, so I will simply describe what the track sounds like under Luciano's guidance. If you have ever heard any of Luciano's top-quality productions (Orange Mistake, Arcenciel, Father, etc.) this track will be nothing new: a dense, minimal soundscape with lush, fragile ambience, woven into the the sparse drum production and water-droplet synths Luciano so loves to use. The melody is fractured, having no real beginning or end, simply ebbing and flowing with the other elements of the track. In any other instance this is a big mistake, but as we are talking about Luciano and Cadenza here, it is quite acceptable. This is minimal, organic techno at it's ambient best: the sound has no real start or end, and when new elements swirl into the mix, you hardly notice them. The sound grows and changes as a whole, as a single element, not as separate sounds. Wonderful mood music, head music, background music. An early morning lounge cut if ever there was one.



-NL