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Navid Mehr feat. Amber Long, incl Stas Drive Remix – Gathas. [Sudbeat]

by Priya Sen January 7, 2015

Sudbeat comes up with an absolute gem of a release to start 2015 off and in comprehensive style. Breaking the chill of January, Canadian Navid Mehr whose work I am not privy with, captures my senses with these vibrant pieces of music, featuring the naturally fantastic vocals of Amber Long, titled – Gathas. The entire pack is clearly one of the label’s best outputs. The original track is sculptured with watery gurgles and crisp minimalistic bass pattern. The sensuality of Amber Long’s vocal is translated wondrously over the background of reined in, well placed drifts of chemical smoke in the guise of thin snares, down to the spooky ripples of melody that courses through, luring you to surrender. The rising and falling of the drone like melodics, is sublime. Fast on its heels is the Dub mix that delivers dance floor grooving in spades, which takes you in to a journey of rich ear pleasing musicality. All the elements of the original remain quite intact, yet there’s a comeuppance of sorts with the restrained use of the main melody sample, albeit in a slightly slurred way. This version, makes the sun set in your ears by draping a spare beat and a progressive feel around the outside.
There’s a second tune titled – Elyon; an example of changing and creating a tasteful balance, an exchange from the frosty beauty of the title track to warm tones in the flip side offering. Quite like how film makers once simulated night scenes by sliding filters over their cameras during day time. The patina gives out scenes of a smoky basement enthralled in one giant sway through chunky beats, full bodied bass with a soulful cosmopolitan sheen to top things up. The tune centers its thump nicely, with slivers of atmospherics creating more reach, all along the captivating melody chord that dances around provocatively. Great stuff!!
Flavor of the season Ukrainian – Stas Drive shows the way out by tackling the latter tune with gusto and puts down a hard to touch remix. The squelching, seething quality he brandishes over the re work is immediately evident in the way he’s used the bass line to lurch forward, in the plunky center melodics, and pitches everything upwards and upwards, ascending towards the stratospheric. The tickling keys and massive open bass rocks the dynamics out of this package.
Happy New Year ladies and gentlemen!!