Mulder // Natural High / Varta [Rejected]
Two of my favourite Dj’s (especially when playing back-to-back), Joris Voorn and Edwin Oosterwal have made great strides in recent years. The backbone this success resides in the dedication to absolute quality within their mixes, live productions and performances. As part of that experience, much material is culled from their very own Rejected – where we have this neat two-tracker.
Mulder brings forward his own production Varta, and immediately I’m sitting in the space and sparseness created within. Drum programming is simple, bass eq is subdued, but in a very deliberate manner as things are allowed to grow organically. Hats pick up nicely and the two note main bass hits down (with a subtle play-off sitting neatly in the background too).
Again the fills are simple and precise at the end of bars/sections, where the pads and synth-line start to drift in to create atmosphere. We get some reverb fx too before hitting the main break, which rises from the floor cleanly with a sizzling synth, before delivering the ‘hit’, which is punched out in good health with some tuned percs.
It’s not a track that will stand on its own as a classic, but the simplicity compliments the label-heads style of performance and for those who play multi-layered Djsets, for which this seems to be intended. Thinking in this manner, you have to say that it very much delivers. Push this out at full volume mixed with other tracks/loops FX, hit that break again and you have a very different track on your hands which djs can explode floors with.
Joris himself also again stands-up to be counted with his edit of Mulder’s Natural High – which is agitated, exciting and funk laden. Much like Varta, the arrangement again is initially stripped and built for Dj’s to explore – with everything happening exactly where you would want it too.
When the Main bass-line drops just shy of the two minute mark, it’s clear this will work in both Main Rooms and also Deeper Rooms well. Hats pick-up and vocal snips start floating round the room as we head towards the main break too, where the snaking Traktor-inspired FX are subtly used before the powerhouse synth rises for the finale. The beats smack down and the Organ triplets over the mid-range provide the extra energy for us to throw ourselves into, before we hit the super-chorus of extra-hats and vocal-snips shortly after – which is immensely satisfying.
So it’s very much a ‘well-done’ – being a great track that will undoubtedly be thrashed over many dance-floors in the coming months.
I’m sure you will see many a-hands- in-the-air and feet-a-stomping to this too. Winner!
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Mike 13
