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Sunday 09th, March 2008
Sami Saari - Sweet / The Punch EP
Updated: Tuesday 18th, March 2008

Sami Saari follows up his electro remix of Seth Hutton's "Don't Look Behind You" with a bass-dominated progressive / electro EP. The "Sweet / The Punch EP" features two single productions from Sami as well as two remixes of "Sweet" from Deck Jagger (better known as Syna) and Mike Shiver vs Matias Lehtola. After reading through the track list I was instantly fascinated and to say the least I wasn't disappointed with the result.


Sweet - Original Mix

The A-side of this release starts out in an all-out progressive house fashion. Disco snares as I call them roll in and bring in some stompin' percussion. A side-chained vox is featured as well, followed by a low-pitched snare. After a snare roll, everything drops out and all that's left is a bangin' bassline. Tough and rigid with an edge, this bassline is catchy, playful and also quite addictive. The percussion returns, and the random use of several live FX adds as great variation. For the most part the bassline just goes on and on and does it's thing while the percussion appears, varies in layers, drops off, then reappears. A breakdown filters the bass away, bringing in a subtle vocal riff, pads, and a breakbeat percussion. Sweeping saws create a great tangent in the middle of the track. Building synths hype up the anticipation of another chorus. The vocal pad and saw synth drift away but then filter back up again as the bassline slowly begins to re-emerge. A grand EQ sweep brings in the chorus once again, featuring that awesome bassline. A repetitive sequence serves as a bridge that adds as a bit of relief but then leads up to the very last and quite short chorus. The bass disappears and a delayed stab filters out and sure enough the percussion drops off and the tune comes to a close. A fantastic house tune with a killer bass riff - not much to it but the variation on the main idea keeps things fresh. Highly recommended to prog house and electro lovers out there!


The Punch

Sami's B-side is a bit more than just a B-side in my opinion. Filtering, punchy percussion starts off the show. After the basic perc foundations are in place, everything drops out to feature the (yes you guessed it) a bangin' bassline. A breakbeat section and an odd filtering synth keep us in suspense. The bass kicks in after the percussion returns, courtesy of the white noise sweep. An equally edgy but dirtier bassline dominates the speakers, featuring a rather unique sequence that I can't get tired of. Moments later the bass disappears and a breakbeat section with an analog bass are left with some glorious, dreamy sweeping synths. The synths are backed by pads and FX sweeps. A few piano stabs are featured for a brief moment before the odd plucky synth from the beginning takes their place. The percussion drops, then filters back up with some thick FX sweeps. The bassline kicks back in with the percs; the pads and sweeps are gone temporarily. The percussion and kick drop off to give the sweeps some attention before they disappear again. A twitchy synth now joins the bassline in the third and final chorus. Another breakbeat section comes into play, featuring the analog bass and a few squelches before the track begins to wind down. Another fabulous track from Sami. Perhaps the theme isn't as good, the track overall is great and I highly recommend it.


Sweet - Deck Jagger Remix

The Finnish trio known as Syna / Deck Jagger are the first to remix this funky production. Featuring housey yet driving percs, the track picks up with a rich arp riff which leads to a background bassline and some lovely sidechained pads. A stutter effect brings in some house stabs, all the while a subtle pluck has been filtering in for the past minute. The rich arp reappears and the track drops off somewhat, introducing the chord progression of the theme. A sweep brings in a rich bassline, in which the track is focused around. The percs kick back in, as do many other synthy goodies. The vocal pad from the original appears at this point as well, as do some gasping female vox. The tune begins to descend but a stab and a sweep brings the track back onto its feet. Again, live effects play a vital role to keep the track fresh and unpredictable. A crash brings in a breakdown, and the synths that are still apparent filter away. Another crash and loads of FX later, the kick is back, alone with the bassline. The theme is missing, but the track is slowly building back up thus one can expect the theme to return in a couple of measures. A sweeping pad and some rising FX bring in the chorus with a bang. The stabs, full bassline and other synths are back, but only for a limited time. The chorus ends quickly and the track slowly approaches its demise. A great remix of a great track, this is one to check out if you like a bit of trance influence to your house music.


Sweet - Mike Shiver vs Matias Lehtola Remix

A collaboration of two uplifting trance artists results in the unexpected - a techy, trancey bass-dominated remix! Far from a disappointment (in case any of you full-on trance fans assumed as much), this remix really packs a punch and does contain a strong uplifting edge to it. Subtle percs start things off, but wave after wavs of FX bring in new additions: first some percussive layers, then synthy stabs followed by the removal of all those elements, leaving the percussion and a stormin' bassline. This bass is a bit cleaner than the original but it really packs some energy. Filtering down, then back up again, a snare hit and sweeping FX bring all the percussion back in. A mysterious sine sequence sounds on and off in the background, adding as some lovely atmosphere. A snare roll and another FX sweep bring in the progression and some soft sweeping pads. A breakdown slowly emerges and the bassline gradually disappears. Dreamy pads sweep from speaker to speaker, filtering up and down majestically. The reverb-drenched sine blips return, followed by the kick and an odd marching snare riff. The kick drops off again and the bassline slowly filters in. The break comes to a close with a snare roll and a grand sweep. The bass is back in all its glory and the track just continues to gradually build with the addition of pads, sweeps and more percussion layers. Moments later an FX sweep brings the chorus to a close, and the track slowly drifts apart from there on. A fantastic remix from the Captured bosses and a perfect way to end an amazing EP. This one's more appealing for the trance / uplifting fans.


In conclusion...

To say the least this is one solid release. All mixes / tracks offer something different and I highly recommend checking out every track - which isn't something I say often. The standout mix has to be Shiver & Lehtola's remix, and just by a hair at that. 5/5 for this one.Sami Saari - Sweet / The Punch EP

Written by:
DJ_Redstar

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