Following shortly after Bluetech’s long player The Divine Invasion, Honey in the Heart, as featured on the album, gets the honor to headline an entire EP, including three remixes and a new track by Evan himself.
Bluetech’s sense for intricate patterns and enchanting use of melody is evident as ever in Honey in the Heart, a lovely piece of downtempo electronica. It has groove, a playfulness that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and a very polished feel to it. But most of all, it feels intimate. It’s like a little rollercoaster of small surprises. The track makes you feel like you felt when you were five and you opened a present. Lovely stuff.
System 7 are the first on the remix roster. Some technoish influences drive this little beast along. The track however never loses its intimacy. It develops almost carelessly, adding drive and variety in subtle doses as the track progresses. The dubby, jazzy elements are wonderfully interwoven with the groove, adding to the overall ambiance of the track. Excellent work by System 7.
Fiord are next, and deliver a more club oriented track, which clearly leans towards house without losing its edge. With ever more sampled stabs from the original the track builds towards the middle of the track, where a short break is used as a prelude for the second half, where the intensity of the track is pitched up a notch. This one sneaks up on you, and only somewhere halfway down the line you realize what a lovely track this truly is. It oozes quality, and this one is set to do some serious damage in a club near you.
The last remixer to work his magic is Guy J, from Bedrock fame. He delivers a warm, sensational piece of progressive. From the opening stabs you know something special is about to unfold. The track takes you by the hand and subtly guides you through a hypnotizing world of tantalizing melodies evolving from vapour, slowly gaining texture and substance. It hints at sunrises, dewdrops, ecstasy and joy, but always with restraint. The progression is stunning, executed with delicacy. Simply an astounding piece of work.
Lastly, Bluetech offers Hungry Ghosts, a rather quirky piece of downtempo. The use of countermelodies spiraling in and out of each other is really nifty. The track literally plods along, slowly setting foot into one direction of dubby deviousness, while at the next turning around to explore other avenues. While the diversity is something praiseworthy, and the production is as always top notch, the track didn’t really do very much for me. Especially when compared to Honey in the Heart, there seems to be lacking a certain ambience. |
