OMB // Sea Air [99percent Recordings]
Tokyo’s OMB has been making a living as a DJ and producer for a number of years now, and this week sees a new release on 99percentrecords.
The original version is a nice opener, setting the scene nicely in the early stages with shimmering hats, a nice groove to the bassline and some nice guitar licks punctuating things. Sweeping pad lines emerge later before a nimble main melody appears, with some higher synths bringing more urgency going forward. It is a pretty but certainly not insubstantial track, and one I enjoyed.
Finland’s Cid Inc certainly knows his way round a nice wee progressive number, and demonstrates that here – the track is still quite gentle, but has a deeper and darker groove than the original – it takes the melody from that and puts a blanket over it to nice effect, and it sprawls out further over the running time. Overall the track is good, becoming more persuasive as it develops, and would soundtrack a late night drive very well indeed.
The Slinder remix is next up and builds momentum effectively from the first bar, it also utilises the meldody from the original very nicely, with an underlying growl adding an extra edge. This version pushes the most emotional buttons of all the mixes on show here, and the lovely, spacious breakdown has a very impressive build, with a real release of tension at the end of it.
Closing the package we have the Tvardovsky remix, which starts off with a thumping kick, a repeated bass note and a harsh cymbal throwing us a collective curveball, before a nice guitar sample brings us back from where we think the mix is heading – we are then hit with a lovely bass groove, and some nice key changes mean that interest never drops. The melody from the original sounds fantastic when it appears and when the track kicks off again after the break, it’s really impressive stuff – this is the best mix on an impressive package.
Overall, OMB and the label can be very happy with this release.
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Stevie Reid
