Rob's Music Reviews - July 2009

Unusually for me there have been a number of progressive tracks which have caught my ear this week. The Quasar & The Pressure and Victor G both show that prog is not as dead as some claimed and, when done right, can be more futuristic than much German techno. At the other end of things is the superb new EP from Santé and some dope remixes of Milton Jackson.

Santé - Damabalaa E.P. (Souvenir Music)

In the summery South American groove that’s worked for them before Santé hits the mark with a smooth ethnic groove layered with haunting vocals, a wooden flute, Deep Forest-esque samples and a few subtle piano stabs. This is a nicely balanced meshing of elements which is made even better with the addition of a dub version which is more of a peak-time dance floor version. With ramped up percussion and a harder hitting groove it’ll cater perfectly to the more tribal house oriented fans. A must for followers of the Laurent Garnier, Luciano etc sound.
Santé - Damabalaa E.P. on Beatport

The Quasar & The Pressure - Take Me Over (Ready Mix Records)

Starting out as if it’s going to turn into a mid-90s MAW track ‘Take Over Me’ quickly shows it’s not the average filler prog and is one of those few releases which flawlessly meshes styles and hypnotizing you almost immediately. Sultry synths, vocals with spacey FX and a deep, rolling bassline give it a groove which would work on most dance floors and the Hungarian trio show their class in keeping it interesting without resorting to any gimmicks to keep your attention. The Gorge remix is a more subtle and low-key, perfect for late night sessions.

The Quasar & The Pressure - Take Me Over on Beatport

Victor G - Sleepy Days E.P. (Pure Substance Records)

Victor G steps into minimal prog with the original mix in an edgy, steppy groove that slowly builds into a layered dubby prog number which would sound epic in a big room and probably scary as hell at 6am with a super low sub-bass pulsing through it for most of the track. The Andy Slate remix of 'Sleepy Days' is fantastic with a heavy, distorted kick and deep bass which hails back to early Maurizio releases. Slate meshes old-school sounds into his productions making this an example of how to make nasty bottom-heavy grooves without ramping up the BPMs or cheese-factor. The bonus 'No Maybe' is a more funky number with a bouncy synth and nice use of delays and FX on the elements. Well worth checking out.

Victor G - Sleepy Days E.P. on Beatport

Milton Jackson - Never Be Wrong (Remixes) (Dark Energy Records)

The original of ‘Never Be Wrong’ was solid enough as it is so it is a nice surprise to hear new mixes which take it in very different directions. The Burnski Orange mix is a deep take with a nice synth line, a heavy drum kit and groovy bassline which gives it a warm-up sort of vibe. The Sei A remix is more peak-time and twisted. Like some of his other productions it’s got a real Detroit influence to it with small twists and turns coming and going, never sticking to a groove for long. It would fit in well with lots of classic techno and just as easily with the more Chicago house oriented music. Nicely done!
Dark Energy Records on Beatport
Enjoy!