Ezel feat. Tamara Wellons - Girl From Ipanema (Makin Moves)

In the ’60s Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes created the Brazilian gem “Girl From Ipanema.” Sweet and breezy, the bossa-nova tune was catapulted into immortality by Stan Getz and a very young Astrud Gilberto, turning the track into a modern standard inspiring many to make the pilgrimage to the canonized Brazilian beach.

Fast-forward to 2013 and renowned Dominican dance scientist Ezel has taken to re-imagining the standard. Ezel took a break from working as a DJ, producer, and songwriter to re-connect with his formal musical studies. After a year in Spain studying, he found himself with newly developed senses and inspired to challenge himself. Ezel gravitated towards one particular standard he encountered in training, “Girl From Ipanema.”

Ezel’s version updates the classic, straying from the traditional notion of what dance and jazz can be. Through a deceitfully simple arrangement, Ezel infuses his rhythm with a jazz sensibility, adding a bit of a twist to the timelessness of the original. Tamara Wellons adds strong, sweet vocals to complete the circle. The single is bolstered by two remixes: Justin Imperiale takes it to the club for his DUBstrumental rendition, putting the song in a stronger dance context while still keeping the key melodic and harmonic elements. Ron Trent’s right hand man Trinidadian Deep also contributes his Future Vision Mix, completely stripping the song down and rebuilding it with a bugged-out, astral perspective.

“Girl From Ipanema” showcases Ezel’s experimentation and growth. One can practically feel the breeze blowing from the opening notes. This is just the beginning, be on the lookout for more innovation and surprise from Ezel and Makin’ Moves.

Abicah Soul - “Perfect song … I’m feeling this!”
Kai Alcé - “Great cover on the original mix and Justin Imperiale’s rework is definitely a keeper!”
Hippie Torrales - “Great rendition and remixes.”
Jask - “I’m loving the original version here.”
Jaymz Nylon - “If a piece of music could be beautiful this would be it.”
Doc Link - “Wow … sweet touches to a classic. Excellent!”
Souldynamic (King Street / Underground Collective) - “Nice cover of this superb classic. The Justin Imperiale mix is hot!”
Christos Kedras (Kapa Music) - “It’s impossible to go wrong with this one. I’m loving both Justin Imperiale’s more-straightforward remix and the ingenious Trinidadian Deep mix.”
Andrew Duke (In The Mix Radio Show) - “Superb versions, especially the Trinidadian Deep remix.”
Norbert Borchers (House Sound of Hamburg) - “Beautiful … deep … sweet summer feeling.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM, Greece) - “Deep, exotic and seductive. It’s hard to choose the best here … every version in this package has its own magic and I’m already lost in it.”
Dean Serafini (JJazproJect) - “Stunning vocals and a beautiful summer vibe that needs only a chilled cocktail to complete the experience.”
Michael Terzian (Salvation From Sin Radio Show) - “Superb package! As a top-tier house music recording artist, Tamara Wellons does true justice to Astrud Gilberto’s original rendition of this song. Meanwhile, on the production front, Trini delivers as only he can, with his deep esoteric musical maps and Justin comes through with a life-affirming, thirst-quenching version that fully respects and stays true to the essence of what Jobim had in mind when he first wrote the song in the early ’60s. Essential.”

Available now from Traxsource.

James Zabiela - The Healing (Remixes) (Born Electric)

Via Flux webzine:

It is always with great excitement that we receive a new label to the electronic music panorama. Born Electric is the new and highly anticipated imprint of the established DJ/producer James Zabiela. Not exactly a new-born to the scene, Zabiela has been guiding people to the dance-floor for over a decade now; with his signature ‘genre-less’ style that has won him great acclaim and one of the most loyal fan bases in electronic music.

“The Healing” is the label’s debut release and title track is a perfect introduction into Zabiela’s ethereal world. This ambient piece is driven by a soft synth line which sets the mood of the song. Pianos, guitars, and, most importantly, Zabiela’s own vocals add a melancholic and personal component to this track, expanding it into further dimensions and creating a very enjoyable listen.

With the original mix we get the sweet and contemplative side of Zabiela, his 85 Remix cuts straight to the chase. A choppy beat dominated by a rather chunky bass line and slappy hi-hats that unite to produce an ‘in your face’ reaction. At around minute three, the reinsertion of the original synth line sets up a vibe in such way that incites me to commit the crime of cataloguing this as ‘space-funk.’ Joking aside, the winks to disco, electro, and Planet Rock are much appreciated.

Previously this year Zabiela successfully remixed Hot Chip’s single “How Do You Do.” Here we see the band returning ‘the favour’ with a remix that remains very loyal to the original. It’s a rough, more percussive and less melodic version.

Midland’s remix was recorded on tape in order to accentuate the textures and deliver a great piece of hypnotizing house. His fantastic form in 2012 is well showcased in this slow burning piece. This track shows yet again the potential of Zabiela’s synth line, deconstructing it and stringing it out across 7 minutes.

The digital release also includes 2 extra remixes by Clubroot and Gang Colours. Clubroot’s ‘future garage’ yields an impressive remix. It sends out a feel of night bus melancholia and loneliness, very apt for rainy winter days. Finally, fellow Southampton producer Gang Colours offers a version with a stompy hovering beat, spacey harps and a delicate piano keys.

This is an all-together good first EP, reflecting the eclecticism of Zabiela’s world. One can only expect the unexpected, which might not be reassuring but it certainly makes for an exciting journey.

Nick Warren - “Great work, James. Well done!”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “Some ambitious treatments in this package. Midland gains most of my attention with their swell remix, but also liking the beguiling Clubroot version. Dig.”
Tom Flynn (Hypercolour, Dirtybird) - “Zabiela’s 85 Remix is my pick. The Clubroot mix will be useful, too. Nice package!”
Will SumSuch (DeepWit, Etoka) - “A really impressive debut package here, with a mix for every possible occasion. Really liking the original track … stunning Balearic, deeply emotional vibes. Midland’s remix is shading it for me, but the Clubroot version is also excellent.”
Kruse & Nuernberg - “The Midland remix is ace!”
Raxon (audio tonic) - “I’m really feeling Zabiela’s 85 Remix! Excellent production.”
Lönya (Asymmetric Soul) - “Hot Chip are out of this world! The Clubroot mix is great, too.”
Tim Sweeney (Beats In Space) - “The Hot Chip and Midland mixes for me.”
Bruno Lepretre (Ibiza Global Radio) - “Awesome … great remix package.”
Tris Kayo (Radio Monaco) - “Oh yeah! It’s been a while and this is a great release. Full support!”
Bobi (Global Movement Radio Show) - “This is release is crazy, though very tasty, indeed. Dance floor dynamite!”

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.

Dam Mantle - Brothers Fowl (Notown Recordings)

Dam Mantle is the moniker of Tom Marshallsay; the reflective, Glasgow-incumbent artist and electronic producer whose kaleidoscopic debut album Brothers Fowl is the culmination of a long and varied musical path. While DM’s previously touched on fresh ground ranging from chamber orchestrations to abstracted juke, this LP, released via Gold Panda’s Notown imprint, is a diffuse yet cohesive collection of tempos and colors, united by a pretty ambient jazz feel nodding to classic Dilla-style hip hop, beatdown house, and future boogie with his watermark of psychedelic sweetness. It utilizes DM’s palette of sounds and rhythms found on previous releases and remixes for the likes of Warp, Ninja Tune, Planet Mu, and Ghostly, but also bringing a noir-ish ambience to proceedings.

The four songs in our Soundcloud player include the dusty, almost Daedelus-like pastoral flutters of “Cantebury Pt. 1,” and follows suit with the Andrés-style loop bumps of “Lifting.” Then “Blueberry” is the sort of neo-Balearic chug you might expect to hear at a Boards Of Canada rave in the woods while the title track highlights a popwise dancefloor cuteness that’s won him so many fans and tours. Dam Mantle has woven an accomplished and fascinating flurry of beats and sound for Brothers Fowl, and this work unapologetically demands your attention.

Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - “Very strange. Wonderful. I love it.”
Moodymanc - “Nice, gritty, soulful music. I’m liking everything here.”
Ali Herron (OOFT!) - “I’m really liking this … best thing I’ve heard in a while.”
Tim “Love” Lee - “Wow, fantastic.”
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - “Interesting and unpredictable. More please.”
Chris Coco - “Yes, some good jazzy, noodly stuff here. Worth investigating.”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Beautiful stuff … wow.”
Roual Galloway (Faith) - “The leftfield ‘Brothers Fowl’ growls the best for me … haunting.”
Ant Plate (YSE / Rhythm Plate) - “All very now sounding … top work!”
Neil Diablo - “Great release. This is gonna be on repeat for a while.”
Marc Lacasse (Urbnet) - “A wonderful arrangement of abstract jazz movements in soulful electronic guises. Lovely.”
DJ Tomas (ForwardEver) - “Dam Mantle walk in the footsteps of Boards of Canada, Plaid or Black Dog, but have always forged their own path. These are deep sounds that don’t fail to surprise or captivate.”

Additional support from Erol Alkan, diskJokke, DJ Rocca (Ajello), 6th Borough Project, Chrissy Murderbot, and Stephan Hoellermann.

Available now from Juno Download and Beatport.