Aha! Here it is! Finally the song that’s been causing a bigger stir than a spoon the size of a dump truck and I have a copy! This is the fourth release from the German/Kiwi connection following in the footsteps of the hugely successful releases, The Perfect Wave, Teardrops and The Ultimate Wave. All of which are now true classic hard trance tunes. So does the latest offering with it’s Alex M.o.r.p.h. Remix in place live up to the forebears? Oh….I’m quivering with anticipation…read on quick!
Mat Silver (Mattius Schetter and Micheal Brauckmann) along with Tony Burt (Anthony to his mother and wife when in trouble!) make up one of the best trance acts around at the moment. For their new ideas and beautiful cross blend of Hard and uplifting trance without any over baring hints of Hard house or techno, is gaining a very big following in club land. Their previous efforts and remixing has proved that they are here to stay and with artists such as SHOKK and Alphazone lending their remixing duties to their songs they are highly respected in the genre they pertain to. This track, Waimea, named after a very sunny part of Kauai in Hawaii, (Showing what they’ve been up to I think) continues in the same cross blend way. But trance fans will be please to hear that this time, it’s much closer to the trance side than the Hard trance element and has already received rave review from Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Burren and (oh well, can‘t have everything) DJ Dave Pearce (Joking there Dave fans!)
Waimea - Original Mix 137bpm
The original track immediately has a difference to the previous MS Vs TB tracks, as it’s slower in pace. (Coming in at 137, than the more Hard Trance 139/140) But still the hard delayed kicks are there suffused with a real heavy driving bass. The track motors on, introducing in the trade mark hi hats of Mat and Tony and adding layer and layer of backing sequences every 8 bars. The track has buckets of energy and a stirring driving pace. (It doesn’t feel like 137 Beats per minute) Not until a much slower sequence is added, do you get a touch of slow down. This sequence in question is a strange effect, undulating through the song like a fog horn on a dark December night. (It’s that weird, but it’s floatiness really compliments the energy of the track, once again bring that HT and Trance blend) A straight forward uplifting sequence fades in and the track breaks for a few seconds to let it properly settle and then, the song is off again. The added sequence and the driving bass bring a lovely uplifting feel to Waimea that just makes you want to dance. This continues with zero bass/key charges, which do not effect the songs uplifting qualities in the slightest, all the way to the break down.
Here is where the biggest change of all can be heard from the previous releases. A almost seamless transition takes place between the first third and second third (the break) of the song , into a stunning Coldplay ’Trouble’ like piano-ish build with loads of little sounds and piano touches being placed in, the production level and effort is brilliant. Until the main sequence sweeps in though the build and takes control by the scruff of the neck! A huge snare up and the song takes flight. Here, the last third, the song falls back into MS vs. TB territory, with the trade mark loops, tech hi hats and clap that has made them such a feature. The tracks main sequence goes for around 2 minutes solid, with the bass/key charges now in place under a very dominating sequence, then the track simply winds down with the driving bass still in place and a few sweeps and added effects in the right places to finish this track off oh to quickly! Great Stuff!
Waimea - Alex M.o.r.p.h. Remix 139Bpm
Since I first heard Alex Morph was going to be doing the remix duties on this track, it added a real air of expectance and I for one, after hearing their remix of De-Progressive’s Twilight and then ATB’s Marratech, was wondering what style of remix we might get.
Well fear not Trance heads! This remix is very much a trancey ‘Twilight’ style remix. Alex Morph starts with much a similar mix to the A with huge sounding kicks and a wonderful driving bass. But where as the A is a very subtle melodic trancer with fades and a more laboured approach, this remix is brash, forcing the building sequence from the original on you before any real build up has been enforced but in a much more powerfully voiced synth. It really works and gives Waimea that more harder edge that the A side doesn’t have. The break down is also similar but different, with Morph, elongating it and giving it a much more summer/Balearic feel, taking their time with this section compared to the A. It brings back memories of songs like MDiva’s Reachin' Out. The main sequence is gated to sound more like an Above & Beyond style trancer, which in the end gives the track a much more main stream trance feel than the A and will appear to all Afterglow and Euphonic fans. It does lack any energy at all and after the main sequence is gone, again oh too quickly, the song winds down with that wonderful driving bass sequence and finishes a wonderful, wonderful remix.
Conclusion:
Overall
A simply stunning release again from Above The Sky and their head men! The A side is beautifully crafted and you’ll struggle to hear a more original sounding trance track this year. (Unless Matt and Tony release another track that is. But you have to agree, you just can‘t compare their style to anyone else!) The Alex M.O.R.P.H. remix on the B is equally as stunning. With uplifting ooze coming from every pore and it’ll be burning the dance floors into the hot summer early mornings I’m sure! (Sample in the links section) Pure Trance class on the A and euphoric genius on the B. This is the summer anthem. GO AND GET IT NOW!!
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