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A whole bunch of new remixes of one of dance music's biggest classics is about to be issued on Bonzai Classics, a sublabel of the company that also released the original discs back in '93... Among the interpretations are versions by Danjo & Styles pres. Primer, John '00' Fleming and Armandi, so head in for a full review.
In total, 8 brand new remixes will be brought out this month, as well as a selection of 8 of the other mixes released over the years. 'The First Rebirth 2006' will be physically released as a special limited edition collectors box, a limited edition picture disc and two separate vinyls containing the best original and 2006 remixes.
i:Vibes was given the opportunity to review a selection of 5 of the in total 18 (!) mixes, so let's go...
A: Danjo & Styles pres. Primer Remix
This is the mix that's being heavily supported by the likes of Armin van Buuren and a whole bunch of other trance DJ's. Danjo & Styles have made a superbly rapid, energetic trancer in their very recognizable style, using crystal clear percussion, deep yet effective basslines and an array of well formed building synths playing preludes to that magnificent melody everyone knows so well. While the build goes down a storm with its huge amount of drive, a nice contrast is suddenly being brought in at the beginning of the break. Pretty bits of string melody are being introduced, enhancing themselves to their maximum potential backed by the chords from the build. Eventually, the oh-so-addictive original melody hits you right in the face, with serious amounts of tension being built up at the background to induce a truly devastating, highly elevating climax to be created. This one will create havoc on dancefloors because of the very tight combination of Danjo & Styles' unmistakable phat trance sound and that unforgettable main riff. Classy!
Rating: 8/10
B: Antidote's Club Tech Remix
L-Vee aka Airwave and Marnik Braeckevelt provide us with a deeper, slower yet very dark and proggy interpretation under their Antidote alias. Thick percussional layers, stabbing basslines and an eerie use of effects grant a rather mysterious vibe to be created, perfectly fitting in with constant subtle hints to the main melody. A very gentle, laidback and above all somewhat kind sounding breakdown treats us with a really delicate build-up of the main chords: the whole structure slowly evolves over time, just until the melody hits its fullest form. The deep percussion and bassline once again accentuate the darker atmosphere here, with the track just continuously pumping forward to great extent. If you like darker, deeper stuff, definitely give this one a try.
Rating: 7/10
C: John '00' Fleming Remix
One of the UK's finest (psy)trance jocks hands in his version as well. A thin yet driving percussion follows after a short, soft melodic intro, making place for an almost oldschool sounding build with its weird yet inventive FX, constantly bubbling b-line and some repeating backing tastyness. Again, hints to the main melody have been placed right beneath all the other elements, but this time they're being pushed backwards a bit more by the other elements. I totally dig what John has done in the break: he kind of brings the melody using a synth that reminded me of one of Cafe Del Mar's original mixes, instantly injecting a hugely 'classic' feel to the tune. Backed by the not too complicated yet well working percussion, this results in a fresh remix of a classic tune, fueled by wicked oldschool elements.
Rating: 7,5/10
D: Armandi Remix
UK female DJ Mandy Reid is just about to release her new Armandi single 'Distraction', but first treats us with her version of 'The First Rebirth'. If you've already heard the aforementioned single, you'll surely notice the similarities in structure. Mandy brings a superbly pumping percussion with a mean, raw bassline, all completing in a massive drive. The track just keeps banging on and on, of course guided onwards by the first notes of the '93 riff, retaining a dark, groovy feel. Using a rather extensive interlude to spice up the melodies a bit more, the tune grabs you again using all of its funkyness a while later, showcasing that distinct sound Armandi stands for. If you like your tunes energetic and raw, keep your ears peeled for this one.
Rating: 7,5/10
E: DJ MD Remix
I have no idea who MD is, but I do know that he has made a glooming, minimal and almost techno-ish sounding remix. Uncomplicated, continously flowing parts of percussion, an immensely deep, blurry set of basses and an almost unnoticable whooshy bit of the main melody guides us to a a very quiet intermezzo. It incorporates stabbing rhythms backed by the full original melody, with the percs gently doing their thing behind this. The whole melodic interlude suddenly comes to a halt at a certain point, with just the percussion remaining to enable another bit of building to appear. Everything is still being kept at a very minimal level, but bits of the melody keep on reappearing to keep the variation in there. This is a weird remix that can be related to many genres, but I'll just stick with the conclusion that it's minimal, and above all, very very minimal.
Rating: 6,5/10
Conclusion:
Some people say that classics should never be touched whatsoever, but I don't really mind when they're good at all. My pick of the 5 is the Danjo & Styles pres. Primer Remix, just because it has this immensely elevating, driving trancy feel coming with it. The other remixes all lean towards other sides of the dance genre, so there's one for everyone it seems.
Next to the mixes that have been reviewed here, a few other 2006 interpretations will see the light of day as well, including versions by Ljungqvist and Solid Slide.
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