Quickly becoming one of Anjunabeats‘ most prominant young stars, the colossal might of Jason Ross has quickly established himself as a leader of the new breed of Anjuna-based music with his great infusion of Progressive House and Trance 2.0. His first major hit was his fantastic remix to Parker & Hanson‘s Gravity, which was picked up by artists such as Markus Schulz, Kyau & Albert and Cosmic Gate, as well as label residents Super8 & Tab, Andy Moor and Boom Jynx. Now, his debut single of Elements has been considered one of the biggest releases of the label all year, as Above & Beyond have been constantly hammering this tune in arenas such as their recent escapades in their 100th Group Therapy radio show at the legendary Madison Square Garden. While the future is looking bright for this young lad, we must remind ourselves that Anjunabeats isn’t really considered ‘Trance’ anymore with Above & Beyond‘s newest album single of We Are All We Need having a decidedly Prog House tinge to it and their constant support of Prog House artists such as New_ID, Axwell, Steve Angello, Pierce Fulton and Hook N Sling. I have personally stated that the ‘magic’ of Anjunabeats has been lost for quite sometime in other reviews and that the glory of the label’s original sound was replaced with club ready sounds and gritty, Electro infused drops. While this may seem like an old Trance head moaning about the days of yore, I truly believe that, as great as these new releases are, there is something integral and intangible that is missing from the majority of their latest projects. Some artists have brought this magic back in spurts such as the wonderful talents of Super8 & Tab in Let Go and No Frontier, and Genix vs. Las Salinas with their stellar remix to Anjunabeach, but it is almost a rarity to come by this kind of artistry these days.
However, there is still one artist apart from Super8 & Tab that has truly kept the original flow and energy of the definitive Anjunabeats sound while chiefly adapting to the label’s new sonic direction, and that is none other than the brilliant productionary talents of Sunny Lax, who has recently been on a fiery hot streak with his recent releases in 2014. His wonderful single of Karma was truly one of this year’s greatest outings from the label and his recent remixes to JES‘ High Glow, Breame & Jack Vath‘s Arancini and Existence‘s Kilimanjaro have only elevated his status as a war torn veteran of the scene who has finally found his second wind. His remix to Elements is truly a masterpiece within Above & Beyond‘s library of releases and it accurately captures the beauty that catapulted Anjunabeats to its elevated status many years ago. His sounds are smart and blisteringly cutting edge, as he only uses the finest of timbres to represent his musical visions while his stellar percussive work within thunderous tribal drums and snappy hi-hats is some of the cleanest we have heard all year. His breakdowns are nothing short of miraculous as emotionally passionate pads and luscious strings unveil a sweeping, euphoric melodic tale that melts like butter within its own production value. Even the first drop, which is the hardest section of the entire piece, contains that PERFECT blend of Prog House and Trance that so many artists have been fighting tooth and nail to achieve, and the layering within the track’s orchestration is simply the icing on the cake. Sunny Lax‘s second drop of wondrous triplet melodies may not hit as hard as the Original, but it contains that elite level of craftsmanship that only shows when a true artist writes with his heart, soul and entire being inside each and every melodious chord.
Sunny Lax‘s marvelous remix to Jason Ross‘ Elements is out now on Anjunabeats via Beatport, so make sure you purchase a copy and support real Trance! Make sure you also check out the harder version through the Original Mix as well!
Keep the music alive. -Q
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/track/elements-sunny-lax-remix/5995112
