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Aquatica – Amber Long & Robert Mason [Stripped Recordings]

by Priya Sen April 22, 2015

One of dance musics impeccably planned, indelible and unmeasurable pairings – Canada’s treasures Amber Long & Robert Mason, release “Aquatica” on Stripped Recordings to finish off April, in a haze of high quality melodic burn. On top of that, one cannot ignore the recognizable similarities between the rest of the pack by way of remixes, yet each take spins and evolves only to make sense at the end of it all.
When the thickish low end warmth of “Aquatica” Original Mix meets you, even though the bass is slightly blocky, you are bound to shimmy and pirouette, you can’t help but be mystified, and lock yourself in to the awe inspiring vocalism of Amber Long. Adding subtle touches of square wave stabs and deep chocolate-y melodics, the slight flanger effect color your senses to remembrances of magical nights filled with wild musical abandon.
The oceanic start to the first of the reworks, is from Jamie Stevens whose Vocal Remix has a driven quality to the entire face, he treats it with a fastidious finger. High lighting Long’s vocalism to chalkiness accompanied by twisted fissures of squally deep sub bass. It unfurls, by altering the groove enough to keep the momentum feeling loose and away from the sweetened textures of the original. Cutting acidic musical showers temper the whole.
Unsuspectingly one hits the jackpot with Navid Mehr’s remix in the middle. It’s a mover – pure and simple. There are echoic vocals that make the higher frequencies bubble. The interiors are treated to full bodied atmospherics. The rough and ready crunch of the rhythm is just to die for. The descending bass line that wraps and taps on your chest in unison is undoubtedly the vibe that delivers the knockout punch. This one’s, the focus puller; and an emphatically replay-able one at that, with that clanging melody chord, and bassy charm. Moreover, his treatment of Long’s vocals, is sublime and goosebumps inducing.
Hitting the end, it’s only fitting that Blusoul tackles the finisher. He takes those distinctive rounded synths into a wasteland of droning bass and open space. It’s a remarkably deep track, almost as though it was constructed in three dimensions, if that makes any sense. Marking off a rubbery beat that provides a nice foreground for synth stabs and the melody to play out over top, complete with some organ vamping. His once again reminds that Blusoul productions are well on their way to becoming something you can buy sight unheard.
Round of applause to all, more than ever to this kind of Techno!!