HOLD ON is an excellent collection of remixes to a synthetic dance anthem. CRYME’s ‘HOLD ON’ features an eclectic blend of elements that incorporate dance, rave, electronica, and soul in a stunning fusion of worlds that’s masterfully executed.
German artist CRYME is based in Berlin, where his musical roots are deep within its underground techno scene. With a style that’s elegantly paced with a moderate tempo and an engaging rhythm on ‘HOLD ON’, CRYME and his collaborators deliver a rich collection of guises to the track, already a terrific techno release. CINTHIE, Obscure Shape, Lydia Eisenblatter, and Volpe all deliver massively different treatments to the original, each with a distinct sound and attitude that made each piece outstanding in its own right.
The original’s well-paced groove and deep kick sound, alongside the subdued synth stabs and astoundingly cool soul vocal chops, masterfully sampled to blend in really well with the cold, electronic backdrop, all make up a track that’s delicious and balanced. CINTHIE’s treatment features a more dynamic synth soundscape with more layers, each one prominent and important in the mix. The beat and its incorporation of lively claps takes this remix somewhere completely distant from the original, while the retained soul vocal samples keep us firmly rooted in the track’s original, crisp fusion of styles.
Obscure Shapes’ hectic, percussion-led treatment leans heavily towards a more industrial and acidic approach. The quicker tempo and more processed vocal samples also remove us further from the elegant original to a more dramatic and unpredictable sound that’s reminiscent of the madness of Prodigy. Lydia Eisenblatter’s treatment tones the sound down and back to something similar to CRYME’s original, with a brooding subbass and a leering rhythm part for an atmosphere that’s ominous, and the dissonant synth interludes that drip with their acid jazz chord sequences introduce a sound found nowhere else on the EP. Of the 5 treatments, Lydia Eisenblatter’s remix might be the most engaging for the larger portion of the audience, with its exciting mix of styles and rhythms. Volpe’s treatment is the smoothest. Led by an elegant sub bass sound adorned by creamy synth stabs, Volpe’s remix is the most streamlined and perhaps the most suited for the dance floor.
HOLD ON is an exciting collection of techno tracks that can each easily pass as a distinct release standing on its own feet. A talented group of collaborators and a superb techno release.
Label: Seven Berlin