MUSIC REVIEWS – Real Gone Kid – Dance –
MUSIC REVIEWS – Real Gone Kid – Dance –
Send promos to – simonhuxtable@gmail.com
Hi, I’m Simon. I’ve been a DJ longer than I care to remember, and I’ve played all over the place and loved every minute. …well, maybe not the 4 am graveyard shifts where everyone leaves after the headliner has finished, but every ‘other’ minute! I’m fanatical about all genres, but my favourites are the deeper end of prog and funky breaks. I run two labels: ASTIR covers House and Prog, and ASTIRbreaks for melodic broken beats.
My reviews cover everything. Good music is good regardless of style and I want to share that passion with you and hopefully steer you towards some cool secret weapons that elevate your sets or make for some interesting home listening. Let’s DO THIS!
10/10 – TOP RELEASE –
The Doppler Effect – Beauty Hides in the Deep (Nick Newman & Dreamteller Unofficial Remix) [Not on Label]
I know… A bootleg. A bootleg just for DJs and not available to the general public. But holy moly, what an update! You probably remember this one from a million years ago, huge in the Trance scene and remixed by everyone and their mum at the time, it’s one of those familiar tunes you hear and just can’t place. A proper earworm vocal that buries down deep and infects you with nostalgia every so often.
I’m a big fan of Nick Newman. I think the guy writes the most spellbindingly deep music of his generation, so when I saw this in my emails, I was suitably excited. And I wasn’t disappointed – my first emotion on hearing someones update of a classic track. The beats are smooth and bold, the reese bass underpinning the low end but never overpowering the mix. Carol Lee’s immaculate vocal performance is front and center, given ample space to really breathe and emote. Wonderful, understated, and essential. If you can find it.
9/10 – RECOMMENDED RELEASE –
Nick Varon & Deekay – Cactus/Inyeon [Sudbeat]
Nick Varon teams up with Deekay for a brace of tracks on Sudbeat, already championed by El Maestro. Sonic journeyman Nick has been a passionate purveyor of progressive beats for over 15 years, and a legend of the Greek scene. While Deekay has trodden a similar path, is a new name to me. A DJ at heart, his love of Afro rhythms keeps his performances highly engaging, dynamic and soulful, blending tribal beats with contemporary sounds inspired by the vibrant culture and energy of the dancefloor.
‘Cactus’ is very much a design of Deekay, with Varon adding his smoother prog stylings. It’s afro tribal with spiky sounds that slow burn over the course of the track, building a head of steam throughout. But it’s the flipside that really impressed me personally. ‘Inyeon’ is balls-to-the-wall tribal. Deep bass-led grooves for those late-night sweaty hugs and druggy smiles. I cannot get enough of this sound!
9/10 – Thom Rich & Lisa Eline – Where Is Home (Keep on Running) [Manual]
I really like Paul Hazendonk’s label. It’s been a mainstay of mine long before I actually met him and we became music mates. This one stands out a mile though: a proper song! Dutchman Thom Rich has had a glittering career already, with releases for Steyoyoke, ICONYC and loads more. And as label boss at Aftertech Records, he has many strings to his bow.
‘Where Is Home’ is the kinda song-based deep prog I used to hammer the arse off at my various warm ups and pub gigs. It’s warm, analogue vibe suits Lisa Eline’s vocal perfectly, it feels like grown up dance music without the stench of coffee table self-importance. Paul has provided the remix here. A consummate professional, his sound is normally more on the deep trance side of prog, but here he dives deep with a subtle tribal feel that pays homage to the source material.
8/10 – Noel Sanger – Lost Passage (Remixes) [Dissedent]
Noel’s label has gone from strength to strength in recent months, so this was a ray of sunshine in my fairly dour afternoon’s tune hunting. Ranj Kaler absolutely smashes the arse off this across three very usable mixes. You have to feel a bit sorry for John Keding, who turned in a proper banger, too. His mix oozes quality. Deep, powerful beats and clever use of the main motifs keeps you interested.
However, it’s Ranj in peak time breaks mood that really hits the spot for me. Everything just works perfectly. But then, he’s a very meticulous producer, and that attention to detail shines through in these days of “that’ll do” halfassery. Melodic and deeply satisfying, I implore you to grab this whole release when it drops on Feb 27th. Of course, you can always just see him headline at Basing House the following month for ASTIR recordings. Your choice!
8/10 – Karafella – Wika [Manual Deep]
If you’ve read this far, you might be thinking I was sponsored by Manual Music to only promote their tracks. I promise, it’s a complete coincidence. Honestly! Manual Deep has been a secret weapon label of mine for a while.
For those of us who remember digging in the crates for vinyl, you’ll know what I mean. It’s a label filled with incredible music that, for whatever reason, doesn’t necessarily satisfy the needs of the average DJ. More fool you, I say. Because it’s tracks like ‘Wika’ that make the job of the warm up jock so much more fulfilling.
Broken beat and full of nuance and subtlety, it’s the kind of track that quietly ear-worms an unsuspecting early doors crowd and gets them energised. Perfectly engineered, it quickly becomes hypnotic, the exotic vocals weaving their magic. If you hear me play anywhere in the next six months, odds are that I’ll play this.