5Bonds2Carbon and Vitaly Katz – Euphoria EP
This EP opens with the deep trance of the aptly named “Euphoria.” At eight-minutes long, the loops seem elongated, and the song subtly shifts from one phase to the next. This is followed by the more house-oriented “Snatch,” full of driving beats and percussive scratches. And then the EP finally winds back down into the deep groove that began it, albeit with a different melody in the song “Oazis,” which features a mystical voice-over that I could do without.
Hibernate – “You and Me Know”
The original mix starts off simple and adds layers and loops as it continues, eventually culminating in the melodic vocals. The lyrics are simplistic, but I never expect much from a dance-oriented track. Clocking in at eight minutes, this is a long song, but Hibernate makes use of ebbs and flows to keep it interesting, bringing it down to chill minimalism in the middle of the track, and then builds the layers back up. The dub version is much the same, minus the vocals, which didn’t do much for the song anyway. If you’re crunched for time, the radio edit cuts it in half, compressing the build up, cool down, and climax revisit.
Rob Benninger – Embers EP
“Contact” begins with that electronic click thing that I adore in electronic music. I wish I knew what it was to call it by its proper name, but once you hear this track, you’ll know what I mean. The track has an open feel, despite all the layers it incorporates. “Late at Night” has an appropriately deep bass melody driving through the build up. The title track “Embers” rounds out the EP taking it another notch away from house and towards trance. Ultimately, I found myself recognizing several tropes of the genre in these tracks, and while they are pleasant, they too often reminded me of other compositions.