News Reviews

Jamie Stevens – The Healing EP, incl Guy J Remix [microCastle]

by Priya Sen August 12, 2015

Australian DJ/Producer Jamie Stevens seems to be everywhere, doing great things in dance music. His fifth installment with microCastle turns out to be stunning fodder for the dance floors.
Titled – “The Healing” starts off in emphatic melodic fashion, introducing us to – “My Tears Don’t Help Me”, which like classical House music isn’t afraid to let the thundering bass and drummy pattern hang all out. A choppy well timed melody stops and starts all at the same time, alongside the hauntingly mellifluous vocalism. There’s just about the right amount of nostalgia attached to the entire construction of the track, which is to say, one can also sway to this beauty.
A lone remix from Lost & Found boss and magic man Guy J of the title track, settles the score in more ways than one. It begins with a rumbling bass and shotgun snares, and then a great jacking reinterpretation unfolds among us. The nostalgia returns as the crown, illuminated with a driving progression. With a warbling almost acidic melody, and pulsing center, it’s the leanest cut in the EP and the closest to a tight production from the “J” stables off late.
Flipping over to the middle, there’s – “Scintilla” with a deep organ bass line. And suddenly it’s OK to sound ominous. It’s a nice slice of progressive with jittery melodies nestled against velvet synths, hissy build ups, culling vocals fit in like a glove, a giant hooky beast fit for a stomp no matter where you are at.
The last one – “Healing Crimson” is as cinematic as they come, weaving a web of “brand new style, brand new trend” electronica. The deception of this inclusion and piece of work is complete, as my eye brows are raised to high heavens. This track is a breath-taking landscape of electric beats convulsing around a melody that’s hard to forget. It’s that musical knife that one doesn’t see coming, at the end.
Good news is the release is out now.