Ivaylo & Slammer feat. Renate - Breathe Easy (Bogota Records)

Bogota Records return with a follow up to their truly special summer hit “Guide Line”. Where that was a statement of intent, their new single “Breathe Easy” aims to cement the winning combination of producers Ivaylo and Slammer with singer Renate. It’s another thick mix of Bogota style balanced by perfectly arranged remixes, each molded into their own strong identity and building on the solid foundation set by the original.

Ivaylo is a Bulgarian native based in Oslo, at the head of Bogota Records, and Slammer is the label’s sound technician. “Breathe Easy” is the latest of their numerous planned projects. Renate is a good friend of Ivaylo and they have worked together previously, highlighting her delicate vocal delivery over smooth house productions. Their coupling has already proven itself to be a memorable and enduring collaboration, so it’s not surprising the two have set a goal of eventually performing live together.

Let’s start off by noting how clear it’s becoming that Renate’s voice has a uniquely, distinguishing personality that is hard to place, but easy to love. She always delivers with an understated sweetness characteristic of what the music world has come to treasure in Scandinavian pop with indie and experimental leanings. Where it gets tricky is the smoothed over, soulful diva accents that bring to mind wonderful jazz and chill out performances. On “Breathe Easy”, Renate’s vocal nuances work to completely pull the listener in once again, teetering on the wait for her to deliver closure while also hoping it never ends. Meanwhile, the production efforts of Ivaylo and Slammer depend on hard drum programming and a murky low end while the synths take an elevator softly towards a bright, arpeggiated climax.

The remixes flow from Oslo to Bulgaria, from the Bay Area to Barcelona. Kelvin K (Lost My Dog) is a transplant between England and the States’ West Coast. He’s very well versed in the American house music sound, having performed with a lot of its key DJs and producers (Larry Heard, King Britt, Jovonn, and more). His Playin’ Old School Mix does what it says on the tin with a perfectly rounded bass line, lovely Rhodes keys, and sharp horn stabs that bring to mind better times for the musicality of house productions. Norwegian Jarle Bråthen‘s productions have made their way onto a few releases for Prins Thoms’ Full Pupp label. That should lend a clue as to the squelchy, somewhere between acid and Italo disco direction of his cosmically inclined remix. It makes for a very spacious club tune. Sound Solutions is a two years running meeting of the minds between Bulgarian DJ / producer Ognyan Gurkov and musician / composer Iasmin Issinov. Together they start their remix of “Breathe Easy” with lush strings before introducing a futuristic soundscape with their synth work, contrasting this with vibrant piano notes. It builds up into a euphoric release. Arildo, a good friend of the Bogota label and owner of Cymasonic Recordings, finishes off the release with a mechanical, but funky remix. There’s a springy, percussive shuffle on top of a bludgeoning bass sound as well as deep, dusty pads that mirror the low end flow.

Abicah Soul - “I like this Arildo remix … super!”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - “Delicate yet powerful. Another bomb on Bogota Records. I’ll be playing all of these.”
Natural Rhythm - “The dreamy vibe on the Arildo mix is very nice!”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “Fantastic release once again. I’m loving Bogota Records right now!”
Hollis P Monroe (Renaissance Infinity / The Black 80s) - “I like all of these and the vocal is sweet. Looking forward to trying them out.”
Spettro (Bedrock / Crosstown Rebels) - “I’m really diggin’ the vibe and production on Kelvin K’s Playin’ Old School Mix … it’s perfect for deep sets or pool side.”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Trax) - “Modern, soulful, and funky equal the perfect ingredients. The original and the Arildo remix are my favorites and satisfy both sides of my DJ brain.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Very cool release. A tough call here between the Jarle Bråthen and Arildo remixes … both really superb deep works.”
Tyler Stadius (Proton Radio) - “Good choice of mixes. Jarle Bråthen’s acid mix works for me.”
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music / SSRadio) - “It’s difficult to choose between the Sound Solutions and the Kelvin K mixes … both are fantastic. I also love the hypnotic original.”
Louis Hughes (6th Sense Music) - “It’s always nice to see a Kelvin K mix and this one is really great. Another strong release. Well done.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit Of House) - “Kelvin K’s gorgeous and melodious remix is the one for me.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “Real deep feeling in the Arildo mix … I will be playing this for sure.”
Bogdan Taran (Dance Box radio show) - “The Arildo remix is a good piece of deep underground house.”
Jamie Topham (CD Pool) - “Dope original track from Iyalo & Slammer … very UK-centric and current in sound with a beautiful vocal performance from Renate. Cool remixes, too, with that emotive Sound Solutions remix sounding pure genius in arrangement. A seriously good release from Bogota.”

Now available from Beatport and Juno Download.

Ivaylo & Slammer feat. Renate - Guide Line (Bogota Records)

Bogota Records celebrated the approaching summer with their seductive, previous “Twilight Room” single. Well, summer is here and Bogota have effectively turned up the heat with another special vocal-driven hit, the kind that just doesn’t come along very often. As a long time planned collaboration between Ivaylo and Slammer, as well as singer Renate, the Guide Line EP is a statement of intent and the start of a new perspective from the label.

Ivaylo is a Bulgarian native based in Oslo at the head of Bogota Records and Slammer is the label’s sound technician, and the two have numerous projects planned. Renate is a good friend of Ivaylo and they have worked together previously, highlighting her delicate vocal delivery over smooth house productions. It’s a combination that just feels right every time, so it’s not surprising the two have set a goal of eventually performing live together.

“Guide" is a piece poised to take beaches by storm and dark clubs by night, all just in time for Ibiza and beyond. Renate’s performance for this song is truly one in a million. Think Zero 7’s prodigious "In the Waiting Line" met with club speed and deep acid production from Ivaylo and Slammer. Half of the track is spent building around the vocals with ambient floating pads, acid swirls, and the shuffle of a 606 drum machine. When it does finally hit, the acid shifts into a tug-and-pull relationship between mid-range stabs and low end groove. The lyrical content is full of metaphor, exulting freedom, independence, and exploratory self-resilience.

Each of the release’s three remixers take the track into a more DJ friendly club territory. First up is Demarkus Lewis, a name where the colloquial “just to name a few” doesn’t even do justice to a shortened list of the iconic labels, compilations, and releases he has graced, including his own imprint Grin Music. Needles to say, Demarkus is a name that’s familiar and his remix also — in a way — is that ever familiar, pure and perfect lush house sound. Just the fantastic bass line in a seven and a half minute loop would probably get the job done, so the inclusion of his shortened Rockit Lab Dub is definitely a welcome touch. South Londoner Tom Gillieron (RvS) is a friend of Ivaylo’s from his days frequenting Bulgaria and it is in these good hands that the listener can really feel the special attention given to his dubby tech remix. Tom really gives the package that extra Ibiza push, this time appealing to the cool driving force of big room underground dance floors. Another friend of Ivaylo, Brokesteady DJ group member Andre Bravo finishes off the release in yet another direction, full of a cosmic darkness with a heavy bass growl. Be on the look out for a future Andre Bravo original release through Bogota.

All in all, a stunning performance from the Bogota crew and indications of a bright summer ahead.

Graeme Park - “This is absolutely delicious.”
Chris Fortier (Fade / Mindwarp) - “I love this.”
Tom Lown (Savoir Faire / Lost My Dog) - “This is awesome. Something a bit different … a real stand-out EP. Brilliant original and remixes … I’ll be playing these a lot.”
Inland Knights - “Loving the Demarkus Lewis remix.”
Nick Holder (DNH Records / Treehouse) - “Dope!”
Vincent Kwok - “Great haunting voice.”
Da Sunlounge - “Nice dub from Dermarkus Lewis … wicked stuff.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Cracking stuff … I’m particularly into the Tom Gillieron remix, which is pretty sensational to be fair!”
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) - “As usual, high quality and proper deepness on Bogota Records. Lovely release with a wider range of house tunes, with the magnificent Renate adding the frosting on top.”
Joey Silvero (Distant People) - “There’s a deeply meaningful groove to this and an effective hooky sound … Ibiza sunset vibe.”
Claudio Coccoluto - “The original is an awesome track!”
Richie Hartness (untitledmusic) - “The Tom Gillieron remix is a stunner!”
Dado Funky Poetz (Radio Monte Carlo) - “Soulful house for the summer with a touch of class. Cool.”
Michael Terzian (Motion FM / Salvation From Sin) - “The Demarkus Lewis re-work, as well as the original mix, is solid. Renate’s haunting vocals are a breath of fresh air.”
Myxzlplix (Subdivisions Global Radio) - “Excellent release … solid mixes all around but the Tom Gillieron remix is absolutely stunning.”
DJ Di Costa (MoodyLushious Influences) - “What an extraordinary release. Amazing collaboration … the original mix is simply out of this world.”

Available now from Beatport and Juno Download.