Track of the Day: Sungam (Rodriguez Jr. Remix) by Stephan Bodzin

Track of the Day: Sungam (Rodriguez Jr. Remix)

Today we have one of my favorite tracks of the year so far. Originally produced by Stephan Bodzin, ‘Sungam’ is a full on masterpiece. Not to take anything away from the original or the other amazing remixes from Fur Coat and Patrice Baumel. When it came down to actually choosing the track for the mix this week it was not an easy decision. It purely came down to which incredible version fit the best. Which today falls on Frenchman, Oliver Mateu aka Rodriguez Jr.. Very rarely do I come across a track that takes you on an adventure the way that this remix of Sungam does. Rodriguez Jr. has an ability to convey so much emotion throughout his tracks. It is something he has done with great efficiency throughout his career. His remix of Sungam gets rolling with a simple but elegant percussive suite and a series of arpeggios that dance through the track. As the track progresses it builds into an monumental bass line that feels like it could move continents. You literally feel this song in every ounce of your body. If this song doesn’t move you in some way you might want to check your pulse.While he has been making music for quite sometime Rodriguez Jr. is relatively new to me. I first came across him in 2010 when he did a remix of Piemonts’ track ‘Grandfather’s Clock’. A fun little tech house number that I still sprinkle into my dj sets from time to time. I have kept an eye on him since then and do my best to snatch up what ever tracks and remixes he is putting out because 99.9% of the time it fucking incredible ass music and the other .1% of the time its fairly epic. As I mentioned before Oliver hails from France where he was influenced by many different artists and has been making music almost his entire life. He was heavily influenced by the roots of techno and dance music coming from the producers and clubs out of Chicago and Detroit. In addition there are a few other artists that have provided influence that you would come to expect like Depeche Mode, Kraftwork, and the Chemical Brothers. While that in a sense defines who he is as a musician, he does not let genres constrain him in his style of production. I would personally like to thank his parents for taking the plunge and buying him his first synthesizer. The world of music owes them a debt of gratitude. Make sure to check out more of Rodriguez Jr. in PZB's weekly mix as well as the rest of the remixes for ‘Sungam’ below.