Search dance music

Review: Especial returns to its concept of taking music it loves - in this case Sfire's debut EP - and remixing them for a stand-alone release. Teaming up with Berlin's Cocktail d'Amore Music, mixing desk duties are taken by newcomer Kris Baha, as well as label mainstays Jamie Paton and INHALT and the esteemed Lauer.

Sfire's debut EP was one of those records that comes out to little fanfare but steadily becomes a sought after classic - something unique and until the recent repress was unsurprisingly going for casino money on the second hand market.

Following Discodromo's remix of Khidja (EES019) the EP was born with an aim to include all 3 originals in remixed form. Prime space is given to Melbourne / Berlin producer Kris Baha. With is Power Station label and parties now names to watch, plus releases upcoming on Kinfolk and Bahnsteig23, his version of Sfire 2 takes the original's prominent 80s' heartfelt influences and adds arpeggio's, shredded guitar and DMode keys on a bumping, throbbing journey down the Cosmic Hole.

Next Jamie Paton goes deep, with subdued arps, dubbed percussion and haunting bass refrain, all pulsing the vocals to a Distant Dreams meets Goodbye Horses sonnet.

This is backed with versions of Sfire 3. First San Fran's INHALT return with their unique modern Italo and West Coast Cold Wave mix, adding guitar and bass on a trip across the trans-peninne highway from Mancs to Sheffield and back with love.

Finally, Lauer's killer 303, electro reversion is the apt end. A remix that is more than a simple Synth-Pop retake, with 909s lifting the EP to finale. "You felt so close to me..."

Review: Emotional Especial and Cocktail d'Amore Music enter 'cahoot-mode' once again with a second round of Sfire remixes that take proceedings down a deeper, more stripped-back path courtesy of the inimitable Timothy J Fairplay and Willie Burns. Two artists who need little introduction offer up two remixes each that take the unique original to new dance floor extremes. Timothy steps up first with his take on "Sfire 2" via differing vocal and instrumental versions. His trademark, echo laden rolling percussion and John Carpenter-style key lines take the original Synth-pop homage to the dark room. Adding Arps, a lifting, hedonistic breakdown and the scatter-stepper drums and claps found on the Instrumental version and this is pure COTF territory and the better for it. Mr Willie Burns meanwhile has long followed his own path for his take on "Sfire 3", offering one of his deepest remixes to date. Thudding kick, brooding pads and dark strings force the vocals to go down, way down for examination. The distorted vocals of Remix 1 are countered by Remix 2 letting the track shine via a seemingly endless 4/4 beat. Psychedelic, trance inducing, pulsating, this is an ever growing mind expanse.