Max Graham and his great, quality-driven record label, Rebrand Records, have been a bright, shining beacon throughout the entire Trance scene. Hailing from Canada, Graham has built his success throughout years of hard work, often playing 8 hour sets on a regular basis during the 90’s and delving himself in a variety of styles and genres. His recent Open to Close set at Pachita in New York City was a testament to that, as he weaved through Techno, Progressive Trance, Tech House and even Deep House. Along with being an extremely accomplished DJ, he is also a powerhouse in the studio, recently creating his smash hit, The Evil ID and his single, I Know You Have Gone. Now halfway through 2013, he has decided to release a remix pack towards two of recent singles: his fantastic piece, Where You Are featuring the stunning vocals of Alana Aldea and his other single, Diamonds, which features the flowing lyrics of Tania Zygar. His picks for remix duties are unorthodox (like his musical nature), as he brings in the unusual, yet superb talents of Wezz Devall and John O’Callaghan.
Max Graham & Tania Zygar- Diamonds (Wezz Devall Remix)
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Holland seems to be a breeding ground for fantastic Electronic producers, and trance producer Wezz Devall is no different. Wezz has been critically acclaimed on labels such as Captivating Sounds and Black Hole Recordings in the past. His success comes from crafting highly unusual sounds within each of his productions and making it a point to increase the presence of these sounds to create a sort of watermark on his tracks. After his successful singles of On The Rise and The Great White Buffalo, his takes the original, softer mix of Graham‘s and turns it into a peak time Progressive Trance track perfect for clubs and sets. Keeping an emphasis on the lyrical vocals, he starts with soft, offbeat chords that are filtered to preserve vocal clarity. As the voices come out of their muffled state, light percussion and bass are offset by a jubilant synth melody, which gathers more and more energy throughout the build up. The drop brings the synths to Big Room levels, chopping up the melody in tandem with the vocals to produce a punchy, yet controlled phrase. Introducing EQ effects throughout each melodic stab brings variety and uniqueness throughout the soundscape, promoting feel good harmonies and sturdy drive towards the listeners.
Max Graham ft. Alana Aldea- Where You Are (John O’Callaghan Remix)
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Throughout the years, John O’Callaghan‘s success has risen his status into one of the biggest powerhouses of Trance today. His beautiful vocal tracks and incredible energy throughout his numerous sets have made him both a highly respected veteran and one who has vast wisdom on the faster sides of Trance. For this remix, however, he does not change the sound to one of his iconic Uplifting tracks. In this rendition, he showcases his unwavering versatility by exploring other avenues of musical production, opting to keep his sound slower and deeper than usual. Even thought the BPM is slower, it does not mean that John lets up on the track’s power and might. The beginning chugs along with some cool funky drums and intricate tribal vibes underneath a brooding, grumpy bassline. Vocal chops, subtle synths and a moving bassline condenses the orchestration together in a concise, clear manner. As the angelic vocals pull through, the groove is solidified; providing an excellent backdrop for some wild, care-free melodies to jump around the soundscape. Things start quieting down before two claps bring forth a wicked, evolving bass synth, one that organically forms and spreads on contact. Ultimately, O’Callaghan keeps the vibes on the euphoric end, as he finishes it off with those quality melodies that brings a youthful and playful vibe throughout the piece, focusing on the sheer exhilaration of dancing.
Both the Wezz Devall remix to Diamonds and John O’Callaghan‘s remix to Where You Are is out now on Max Graham‘s personal label, Rebrand Records, on Beatport, so make sure you grab these fantastic releases today.
Keep the music alive. -Q
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