[i:Vibes] Kenneth Thomas & Mike Skye - Varekai [Alter Ego Records]

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Kenneth Thomas & Mike Skye - Varekai [Alter Ego Records]

22:40 - August 23, 2005

by Watts

This is the debut release for new UK based trance label Alter Ego Records. Collaborative work between Kenneth Thomas & Mike Skye, with remix work by trancesters ALT+F4, find out how 'Varekai' fares as Alter Ego Records' flagship track...

Mike Skye is no newcomer to the trance/prog scene. Last year saw his productions 'Clear Blue' and 'Preen' - produced under his Elevation guise - turn into great successes with plays from all the big names you could want in trance. Now hes teamed up with fellow producer and DJ Kenneth Thomas to bring us 'Varekai'. Theres the Original Mix and a Main Mix, plus a more trancey remix by Anjunabeats newcomers ALT+F4...

:: Kenneth Thomas & Mike Skye - Varekai
:: Alter Ego Records
:: AE001

1) Varekai (ALT+F4's Blue Screen Mix)
You can very quickly recognise ALT+F4's style here. The tight bass and constant rattle of electronic sfx makes sure that you know the boys, Joonas Hahmo & Matti Kotala, are at work here. The synths that are introduced are also quite familiar in style and sound.

This remix of 'Varekai' turns it from a proggy beast into a trancey monster, so to speak. The melodies are all very clean and well combined. To go with the clean sounding melodies, the synths and instruments used are all very crisp with a pure sound and essence to them. Lots of razor sharp clarity and quite highly pitched notes frost over the top of the track. On a whole, its a very enjoyable and uplifting experience. The melodies and synths continue to develop and after the breakdown, even though this track is light and very trancey, it seems full of nice bubbly trancey energy, adding to the overall enjoyment.

2) Varekai (Main Mix)
With the Main Mix, we're stepping back into much proggier territory. The first thing that comes into my mind whilst listening to this is something very Markus Schultz in style and essence. Definitely something you'd hear him play.

The track, once up and running, seems to pulse along with the beat. It has a really ambient feel to it - this stems from the constant line of thick and chilled out synth that lines the background. Throughout, we're treated to a smooth blend of light and delicate notes with well placed swooshes and lots of nice pads. The main 'Varekai' melody is recognisable and is played by an acoustic guitar sounding instrument. Utilising all the kind of small tweaks and bits of flair between strings and frets that you hear when a guitar is played, this element works out really nicely. Soft and airy, a truly delicate proggy piece. Oh and it weighs in at an incredible 11:11!

3) Varekai (Original Mix)
The Original Mix of 'Varekai' is even proggier still. It has a much quieter sound with more understated use of the delicate synths and pads. It has a huge breakdown section, which features the acoustic element, so thats very nice. There is another synthy lead element which is used to provide variety and breaks between the other melodic sections. Throw in another fairly long and laid back breakdown and after a hefty 9:37 (although not a patch on the Main Mix!) the track comes to a close.

Conclusion:
A strong first release for Alter Ego Records. Quite a few bases are covered here by the three mixes, my favourite being ALT+F4's Blue Screen Mix because of its more uplifting and lightly energetic trancey nature. The progressive influence of Mike Skye is heavily evident in the other two mixes though and prog fans will love them. Very good tracks!