Balkan Connection's BC2 imprint reaches its 13th overall release this week and it sees the label continuing its strong momentum. The A&R team of d-phrag, Ewan Rill and Beat Maniacs have put together some great underground projects over the labels first 3 months and its latest looks to be one of their strongest yet. It features the debut of Deriwer to the label with his latest single entitled 'Lhasa'.
Hungarian producer Tibor Toth aka Deriwer came up through the progressive house underground with his releases on Jacco@Work's LuPS Records. He's appeared on the Dutch label nine times and continues to be a huge part of their sound. His first original production for BC2 showcases his style at its absolute best. Fans of the Hungarian producer love his unique hybrid of progressive and tech house and 'Lhasa' is a prime example of that. The percussive groove carries a lot of punch and is perfectly tailored for the dance floor. The way Deriwer mixes in the long washed out atmospheres is what sets his productions a part though. They're dreamy enough to be considered quite proggy but the toughness of the groove makes it much more appealing for a broad range of dance floors. 'Lhasa' is a dreamy monster of a track and one of Deriwer's most enchanting creations to date.
The first remix is provided by Tommi Oskari who has been garnering some well deserved attention of late. I first heard about Tommi just over a year ago when he remixed Khen & Sonic Union's 'Introspection' for Cid Inc's Replug Records. The Finnish producer released his 'Mind Tingle' EP just a week ago on Praveen Achary's Juicebox Music imprint and the release is still doing quite well in the Beatport charts sitting in the top 30 at the time of this writing. For his 'Lhasa' interpretation Tommi has put a marvelous dark twist on the track which complements Deriwer's original quite nicely. The big, growling bass stabs really stand out and should carry a massive presence on the floor while the sweeping atmospherics add a cool psychedelic flair. The main break and impending payoff is the real highlight though. Following an expertly crafted build the storming atmospheric groove comes crashing back in for an epic moment that carries all the way through an exhilarating second half conclusion. Excellent remix from Tommi who continues to impress. Looking forward to hearing more from him for sure.
The second and final remix is provided Qoob who are making their first appearance on BC2. The Russian duo has been great thus far in 2014 with their recent single for Asymmetric Recordings and a remix for Sleepless Nights being a couple of the highlights. Their 'Lhasa' interpretation rounds out the release with a deep techno vibe. Backed by an ominous sounding groove the relatively stripped framework carries some nice momentum. The well shaped bass tones and intricate electronics are the standout elements here and offer a much needed alternative to the two larger versions which precede this one. It's another very well thought out release from BC2 with Tommi's mix really standing out for me. Don't miss it.
