For this week’s Sunrise Sessions, I wanted to take an extensive look into the back catalog of Anjunabeats‘ side project/label Anjunadeep, which has taken quite a hold on me ever since I stumbled across two interviews with label regulars Jody Wisternoff & Beckwith, (along with a fresh hour and half set by Jody and Meramek on Mixmag‘s weekly set series). Although he’s successfully transitioned into Anjunabeats with his club smashing singles of Need Your Love, Perth & Mirth Mobile this year, Andrew Bayer has always been known as an unusual artist who was constantly edging towards the future of electronic music. Alongside his two groundbreaking albums, It’s Artificial and If It Were you, We’d Never Leave, his impressive discography of singles such as You, Monolith and From The Earth has become an essential component in Anjunadeep‘s survival and has planted a comfortable feeling of experimental freedom for many of his peers and colleagues. Striving to extend his stunning versatility as a producer, he unveiled yet another hidden side of his abilities in 2012 when he first teamed up with the legendary Deep House guru, James Grant. With this duo in tow, their first team up involved a left field interpretation of Above & Beyond‘s signature classic, Prelude, for the upcoming Anjunadeep 04 Sampler series. With a vast collection of unusual retro instruments and a glint of pure, wild imagination, this Deep House mix continues to break ground in a stunning display of breathtaking versatility.
In my eyes, this particular rendition is what really defines the definition of a remix. Many remixes sound the same nowadays and some even reuse the same melody with some tweaks in sound design. Rather than follow the musical path that Above & Beyond wanted, both Andrew Bayer & James Grant grabbed a few iconic samples from the Original and made their own track, effectively putting their own spin on what it can sound like. Prelude starts out with the iconic E-Piano sound from the Yamaha DX-7 Pure Synthesizer, (which was a favorite of Whitney Houston), before plummeting into the deep recesses of reckless groove and insatiable drive with a jacking percussion section and a very creative warping bass that establishes an unusual character to the mix. With the addition of classic slap bass, subtle string bleeps, and highly effective disco vocal snips, it maintains its sturdy, retro feel with a modern, investigative twist. The breakdown floats through time and space with the chugging warp bass before another vocal clip brings a distorted, rising synth into the children choir sample from the Original. This fascinating combination combines both heartwarming Trance emotions and silky Deep House vibes and is unlike any bold statement that I have heard before in a production. Finally, rising plumes of white noise and repeating vocal timbres elevate the tension to the highest point of the piece before completely letting go and allowing the calm embrace of spacial basslines to envelop you in complete, subversive bliss.
Andrew Bayer & James Grant‘s remix to Above & Beyond‘s single, Prelude, is out now on Anjunadeep via Beatport, so make sure you grab your copy today. If you are a Trance fan, make sure to also check out the beautiful Original mix as well!
Keep the music alive. -Q
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/track/prelude-feat-zoe-johnston-andrew-bayer-and-james-grant-remix/3417960
On Sunrise Sessions, we find tracks that best exemplifies the chilled, low energy vibes of early Sundays to start your day off on the right foot. We want to show you what many are missing and help you discover an entire ecosystem of music that’s waiting to be explored. Not to be held down by genres, we look into music in a variety of styles, including Progressive, Deep House, Ambient and even tracks that aren’t a part of EDM! Singles, remixes, mashups, bootlegs, edits and collaborations will be featured as well as a wide variety of artists ranging from established, well known names to people who purely reside in the underground.
