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Trance starlet Jan Gustafsson has been making a name for himself with his productions. Working under Inzite and Empyreal Sun he has already made himself noticed. After his last production, the simply stunning Twisted Reality/Intense Emotion on Galactive, he’s setting his standards high to follow. This time around, the talented Swede is teaming up with the coarse layered voice of Elles De Graaf to add a bit of slant to his work. Well, does it work? Read on…
Jan Gustafsson hasn’t produced too many productions as of yet, but every song he has, has never failed to impress. Quality over quantity my mother always says! From Inzite’s Everest, which was highly acclaimed as his best work, to his name sake production on Fundamental, Hallucination, his songs have been of the highest quality. Here, he stretches his Swedish trance muscles, with as much power and poise as Henrick Larsson reaching for a bullet header and he’s joined on his way by Elles De Graaf. She is the highly distinctive vocalist best know for her work with Armin Van Buuren under his Perpetuous Dreamer guise and after a well placed vocal choice with Blank & Jones’ Mind of the Wonderful and her own trance production with Greg Murray, Circles Of Why (Without You), also on Fundamental, she looks to be hitting it big time. You get the original mix on the A side and well as a remix from English Trance legend, Lange on the flip.
From Dark to Light Original Empyreal Sun Mix 133bpm
The first thing of note as this song opens, is the striking bassline. Probably because it’s of a very similar structure to Perpetuous Dreamer’s classic The Sound Of Goodbye (Tribal Mix)., of which Elles’ vocals also appear. So this may seem to be a good start. That song complimented De Graaf’s deep tones perfectly without over exertion. So this track continues in the same vain with a deep and funky bass, which moves on uninterrupted for about minute and a half with just the slightest hint of vocal backing blending in, instead of keyboard. A cut of silence using a reverse beat can mean only one thing and that it does, the vocals entering. Over the bass and a heavy kick the vocals sound full meaning the track has a nice summer epic, almost progressive feel. The bass changes, which every trance fan looks for in a tune works wonders here, which downs in key and sounding spot on with the deep rich vocals. Small backing sequences are added to give an air of atmosphere but nothing much more. After a verse the track breaks down and this is where De Graaf really shines and plays to her strengths. Her voice, with a touch of reverb, echoes and fills the songs break, along with huge Angelic style layers for a real ’Hands in the air’ moment. Again, harbouring back to the days of The Sounds Of Goodbye. Her vocals cut off and allow Gustafsson to continue with the deep, dreamy layers, until the drum loops cut back in with no snare. Elle De Graaf enters back into the song for another verse over the continuing layers and a now added keyboard backing sequence that only adds to the Armin Van Burren like sound. The song returns back to the single keyed bass and the track winds down with a few well placed whispers.
Really this is a change in direction for Empyreal Sun in terms of sound and it would be a bit un just to call it The Sound Of Goodbye Part2 but it is very, very similar but with that said, it’s a very solid track that will drive the AVB and PVD fans wild.
From Dark to Light Lange Remix 137bpm
Watch it! Legend alert. Yes it’s true, Lange’s remixing talents are just amazing and all the ingredients are here for him to have a good time with this one. (De Graaf’s strong vocals, the lush break down pads and the original’s lack of keyboard sequences)
Lange’s remix opens with a new simple sequence the sets the stall for energy and the typical driving but funky bass, mixing the two elements wonderfully. A slow build up of hi hats and effects add to the energy building and building with the vocals being introduced over a fully in flight set of loops. The energy of the start it excellent. But this time Elles De Graaf’s vocals do sound slightly odd on the lighter, more tranceier stage, some what clearer and harsher. Still it works, with the vocal breaking slightly with a super delayed effect which splices her voice into a new backing sequence until the vocal cuts back in. Very clever. This is added to the effect again for the next verse into the break, where Lange wisely, as with the original mix, uses the vocals to add atmosphere over a slightly out of place sounding bassline. He uses the layered break pads from the original in much the same way, fading them in slowly, but this time, Lange brings in a keyboard sequence in the same mould as the layering and a snare to add a quick burst of energy and full vocal trance. The overall impression of this remix is good. Adding much more of a trance edge to a very deep and powerful original, but (sorry, you knew it was coming) with the amount of energy placed at the front of the track the song does fall a little flat after the break, mainly because De Graaf’s vocals are a touch to heavy for what Lange was trying to do. Where as they work well in the original, here they are over baring. (Like trying to put a Ferrari engine in a Mini!) It leaves you a little disappointed but not overly upset. (Hey the mini would sure be fun and some what different and that is what this is.)
Conclusion:
Overall.
The original on A is captivating in the way it try’s to be a slightly more tranced up version of The Sound Of Goodbye (Tribal Mix) and this comparison is only fuelled because of the lead vocalist, who will always be remembered for that tune above anything else. It’s a catch 22 really with that sound suiting Elle De Graaf to a tee. This deep and epic song is well worth a listen but more importantly it’s a great song to dance to. The flip duties from Lange are of his normal high standards but it’s lack of fluid energy in the latter parts of the remix don’t make it one of his best.
(Please check out the links for an I-Vibes interview with Lange,Label profile of ATCR and up coming new of future Fundamental/Galactive releases)
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