New Feature: Dusty Grooves

Greetings and felicitations, children of technology. Welcome to the first installment of Dusty Grooves, a short-format column based around the contents of my actual (read, vinyl) record collection and the interesting bits within. Some of these releases will be current, many will not. However, to kick this off I present to you a current release, the latest installment in the Zero G Sounds catalog, Esquina's First Corner.

Released yesterday, June 23rd, the two sides of this tech-house record put forth an interesting story. The original track, on the A-side, is a nighttime walk through a deserted warehouse in which our bass-hearted protagonist is continuously startled by an array of tiny phantoms, from white noise bursts, acid squelches and the ever-present clicks and clacks. It is dark, imperative and cut with just enough of sexy vibe to keep you locked in. Atmosphere is key in this track and any club or DJ with a good enough sound system will relish the interplay Esquina creates between sound and space.

Handing things over to the remixers, the B-side serves up its own interpretation of events in a more musically verbose fashion. Both remixes fill in the spaces of the original track, which lends a more complete feel to the production but may limit mixing options. Ruoho Ruotsi creates a bubbling, shimmery dub that slowly builds to a delay-laden climax before dropping out into nothingness. Wisely choosing not to make things too dense, Ruotsi gives the bass a secondary role that kowtows to more active mids and highs. While this fosters an interesting sonic environment, it may detract from the success of this otherwise great remix in an actual club setting.

For those still unsatisfied by either the Esquina or Ruotsi tracks there is still hope; and oh what hope it is. Agnes' dub (track B1) sneaks in with a wispy intro and quickly comes out swinging. This remix is solid gold. It combines all the positive traits of the original with a more active bassline and fuller atmospheric elements. Sweeping pads fill out the upper ends nicely but don't detract from the drive and allure of the kick and bass. This is house music for a basement party in the International Space Station. It is deep, decidedly lush and modern. Don't be surprised if you start seeing this on the lists of many top DJs this year.

It is rare to find a single that serves up three diverse tracks that are all of such high quality. Even though the Ruotsi track may not be perfect, it definitely holds it's own against legions of similar tracks constantly being released. As such, this record is a must have for any tech-house aficionado. As a bonus to you non-vinyl folk this may soon be available on beatport along with the rest of the Zero G catalog.