Melodymathics are back once again with a special 12” release for record Store Day (April 19) comprised of three tracks (the title track + two remixes) and a fine selection of kicking loops! This will be a limited vinyl pressing and the loops will never be available in any other format!‘The Hold Up’ continues in the vein that Melodymann has established in previous releases, a fat pumped up and yet funky house music with a slight techno flavour. Tight, energetic percussion overlain with jazzy keys and a deep organ riff. Driving the track is an indecipherable and insistent vocal sample. This track strikes me as a kind of uptempo ‘Detroit House’ vibe and achieves the remarkable feat of being both pumping and deep!
Titonton Duvante’s refreak of ‘The Hold Up’ goes a few levels deeper with some great funky keys and a lovely warm bassline and the welcome addition of a dubby male vocal sample. Titonton has added a real soulful edge to the proceedings here and whilst retaining many elements from the original he’s really taken this off into different territory. Some shimmering pads lift the listener off the dance floor and into the stratosphere and work exceedingly well with the vocals. Hi tech Soul people.
Now, as a long time fan of Dan Curtin who hasn’t really been impressed with a lot of his recent output I was very happy with what I heard on this remix from him. His ‘DC’s Flow Like Life Remix’ really works! Tough, minimal and with an acidic edge this is one hell of a journey. Complete with wailing sirens, extremely funky drums and a real sense of progression throughout the track – this mix really ‘goes places’. There is an irresistible groove held within the keys laid down by Dan on this mix that defies description and an inherent sense of profundity in the composition that is nothing short of hypnotic. This really is a return to form for Curtin as far as I’m concerned, the track is over nine minutes long and yet there is not a dull moment. Wonderful stuff.
That’s the tracks covered, and already excellent value for money – now onto the loops.
Some really nice bits within the loop section from such luminaries as Fabrice Lig, Rennie Foster, Alex Agore and Melodymann himself. Ranging from fiercely jazzy to tribal Detroit style house to straight up groove based techno and even some real Electro!