Friday 20th, November 2009
Oliver Smith - Cadence / Pacific EP
Oliver Smith has been around since the dawn of Anjunabeats. His first appearance on the brand was his first EP "Mobetta / Something Else" under his Aspekt guise which was released seven years ago, making him the oldest Anjunabeats resident aside from label founders Above & Beyond themselves. Since then he has had various success with numerous releases with his old production partner Mark Pledger and more recently on his own. Today Olie offers us his latest effort, the "Cadence / Pacific EP." Having set the bar extraordinarily high with his last EP ("Restless / Horizons") I'm curious to hear the results.
Cadence
Cadence reminds me a bit of "Tomahawk" with its laid-back uplifting approach and its theme. Featuring a calm yet firm saw bassline, the track also boasts vocal chops, stuttery synths and some nice pads. The break emerges within 2 minutes time and features more pads and a plain octaved pluck lead riff which has been overused as of late. The theme is uplifting, mysterious and bright. Overall a good effort but not as exciting as recent releases.
Pacific
"Pacific" is much proggier than many of his recent productions, perhaps even moreso than his Noel Sanger remix on Cuurve earlier this year. Simple, housey percussion driven by hi-hats start it off with some soft synth chords and a solid, almost trance-like bassline joining in. A moody, smooth saw dominates the track from the breakdown and is subject to loads of variation. In short, a solid, melodic progressive track that will serve well in a warmup set.
Conclusion
In summary, not a bad release! Both tracks are enjoyable but they fall short compared to many of his recent efforts. "Cadence" will suit trance fans while "Pacific" is worth checking out if you're more into melodic prog-house and softer trance. 3.5/5
Written by:
DJ_Redstar
Oliver Smith has been around since the dawn of Anjunabeats. His first appearance on the brand was his first EP "Mobetta / Something Else" under his Aspekt guise which was released seven years ago, making him the oldest Anjunabeats resident aside from label founders Above & Beyond themselves. Since then he has had various success with numerous releases with his old production partner Mark Pledger and more recently on his own. Today Olie offers us his latest effort, the "Cadence / Pacific EP." Having set the bar extraordinarily high with his last EP ("Restless / Horizons") I'm curious to hear the results.
Cadence
Cadence reminds me a bit of "Tomahawk" with its laid-back uplifting approach and its theme. Featuring a calm yet firm saw bassline, the track also boasts vocal chops, stuttery synths and some nice pads. The break emerges within 2 minutes time and features more pads and a plain octaved pluck lead riff which has been overused as of late. The theme is uplifting, mysterious and bright. Overall a good effort but not as exciting as recent releases.
Pacific
"Pacific" is much proggier than many of his recent productions, perhaps even moreso than his Noel Sanger remix on Cuurve earlier this year. Simple, housey percussion driven by hi-hats start it off with some soft synth chords and a solid, almost trance-like bassline joining in. A moody, smooth saw dominates the track from the breakdown and is subject to loads of variation. In short, a solid, melodic progressive track that will serve well in a warmup set.
Conclusion
In summary, not a bad release! Both tracks are enjoyable but they fall short compared to many of his recent efforts. "Cadence" will suit trance fans while "Pacific" is worth checking out if you're more into melodic prog-house and softer trance. 3.5/5
Written by:
DJ_Redstar
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