ringing high

Sorry about the wait.

Tonight's first track is a recent remix from Switzerland's Lazy Fat People. The pair consists of two names coming up a lot recently in techno, Mirko Loko and Raphael Ripperton. The latter's recent mix of Beanfield's "Tides" has been getting quite a bit of love, in headphones and on dancefloors. The two have just released a record on Planet-E, and both are playing out quite a bit this summer.

The remix of the Viewers' "Blank Images" remains faithful to the original track in many ways, yet the melodic elements and beats are altered enough to make it Lazy Fat People's own. Rather than rely on a steady deep house beat the entire time, the pair start the track more slowly, but get to the melodic meat of it in a much more timely manner than the Viewers. The original line is brought up in the mix, and this punchier sound is only punctuated by a more rounded take on the high-end arpeggiation notes. The bass line could use a of a boost in the lows, but otherwise, the track is a nearly flawless piece of tech-house that could be played alongside Ame or their compatriots in the resurgent deep scene. On Audiomatique Recordings, a Poker Flat sub-label.

the Viewers- Blank Images (Lazy Fat People Remix)



This next track is sort of silly to post, as its ubiquity in the early 90's makes it one of the most popular "New Age" tracks to grace the radio waves, but nonetheless, I think it is so awesomely grand that I couldn't resist posting about it.

I first heard Enigma's "Return to Innocence" in the car when I was in 3rd grade, and I remember this moment because that track imprinted itself on my mind immediately-- the solo chanting, chill-out electronic beat, and foreign female vocals sort of took my nine-year-old breath away. The song was played on the radio quite a lot, and so I could enjoy it pretty regularly without knowing much about it or its origins: I always knew that the song was by Enigma, but only recently would I have thought of buying an Enigma record. Well, I found a great Enigma record the other day, and it has been driving itself into my skull ever since. I don't feel that strange about liking this sort of stuff (especially when it comes to Enya), mostly because the synth work is excellent and the samples are gorgeous. Additionally, it is as catchy as any pop song from its era, which is saying quite a bit-- remember when house and chill-out were all over the radio? What strange days.

Enigma- Sadeness (Extended Trance Mix)

(It is not a trance track, for those uninitiated-- trust me).



The final track of this concerns Japanese producer and composer, Shunji Moriwaki. In 1998, Moriwaki put out a fantastic record on Empire State Records called "Shirushi-O-Chodai," an awesome slab of minimal tech-house. The beat is a rumbling thud, the delayed vocal sample of a child eventually swirls about the track, and almost four minutes in, a melodic line reminiscent of second wave Detroit comes in. In some ways, it sounds like a Japanese Basic Channel, minus some of the more lush moments evident in BC's work. Stumbled upon in a clearance bin, I was astounded that nobody had bought the record when it was first released, but then again, who could have said in 1998 that minimal would be the next sound to really explode in the the world of house? Inserted into a contemporary minimal set, it would hardly raise an eyebrow, which is most certainly a good thing.

Shunji Moriwaki- Shirushi-O-Chodai

(I was interrupted by a power outage last night while typing up this post-- sorry again for the wait! More new tunes on their way on Saturday).