Track of the Day: Hanne & Lore - Street Kings 2.0
This week's Guests Boots N Pants brought a very exciting and dynamic mix to the table ranging from a revitalized classic hip-hop intro to some straight up techno with G House, Bass and so on all wedged in between. The duo have been on a tear over the past year and change remixing a host of Dim Mak and Buygore tunes and a super rework of our bud LondonBridge's House groover 'Diddy's House'. They've thrown in an original of their own as well as one forthcoming from the 219 boys so the tracklist is stacked to say the least. Today's pick comes from Hanne & Lore and in the form of Street Kinds 2.0 an ode to a classic Chicago step tune that I'll talk about in a bit.
Hanne & Lore - Street Kings 2.0
A voluminous kick punches right down the middle as panned percussion decorate the exterior of the drum layers with soft clicking woodblocks and stretched out rides add some depth. A double timed bass bubbles underneath some pads that run across the front of the arrangement. It takes a few listens but the duo certainly know how to compose in some interesting FX'd loops and subtle sampling pads into the arrangement allowing for a smooth and progressive build. Their is also a host of awesome rolling synth loops that either grow or decompose with varying velocity and tempo that further enhance the virtual acoustic space. I know I mentioned it already but these guys really use panning effectively and understand dynamics so that what would seem like competing lower registers never become muddy (which also has to do with some precision EQing). What I particularly enjoy about this track is the use of slip rolls and delays in exchange for more common sweeps to introduce transitions. The vocal sample is most likely pulled from the DJ Casper's 'Cha Cha Slide' which was originally written by Willie Perry Jr. who called it the 'Casper Slide'. With an underlying foundation of techno aesthetics, 'Street Kings 2.0' develops and abstracts as the track progresses providing more of dynamics and variation to give the overall composition its unique character.A last note... This track comes off a super compilation released by Snatch Records! to coincide with this years BPM festival.
In Dubb Vol. 1 > BPM - Various Artists
Steffen Neuhaus & Stefan Helmke aka Hanne & Lore are German based production/DJ duo with an infectious love for all things tech house. There's music has permeated in the hands of some of the genre's leading labels like Kitball (see the funky groove 'Karma Supra') and Super Flu's Monaberry. As a sort of modus operandi for established producers these days, the duo also run their own imprint called Heususe that features some deeper vibes like Remcord's latest EP 'Heulsuse 11'. Inspiration surrounds them and during their travels they often collect recordings that they take back into the studio to rework and manipulate showing an adventurous and experimental approach to their productions. Often found on both sides of the Remix conversation Hanne & Lore are certainly a hot collaboration project whether it's asking Tube & Berger to put their spin on a new tune or getting the chance to put their mark on one Oliver Schories tunes.Check out 'Street Kinds 2.0' and a host of other dope tunes from this week's Guest Mix by Boots N Pants:Enjoy,MR PUZL