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Jamie Stevens is a man whose reputation precedes him and again the proof is there for all to hear as he comes with his strongest release yet; the second single from a two-part EP release ‘With You’. This comes hot off the back of ‘Transference’ reaching the coveted No#1 spot in the charts on Beatport for both Progressive House and Electronica, released late last year.
‘With You’ appeals to a wide range of electronic and dance music aficionados. The heart and soul of Jamie Stevens’ extensive body of work is his desire to deliver an individual experience, as he takes us on an excursion into the human psyche with each of these two masterpieces. If you’re after an electronic music release that knows how to hit the emotional core hard while moving your feet then you will be in for an absolutely serious treat as this is already being hailed as a future classic by early tastemakers. Even Jamie himself feels this is perhaps one of his best tracks yet, not an achievement stated lightly with a discography spanning over 400 releases:
“This piece came about from wanting to see if I could capture a more raw, musical and altogether vibrant sonic world, akin to the feeling I had the first time I heard Hardkiss records over a sound system. This was one of those pieces that came together relatively quickly but came alive when I started to cut up and re-pitch the vocal sample. Going from a breakbeat basis to a straighter house vibe made sense to me with that heavy bassline begging to be grounded, changing gears to push from euphoria to a stomp.” – Jamie Stevens
On ‘With You’, we are presented with a masterpiece in modern electronica that sits alongside luminaries like Bonobo, Bicep, Four Tet, Overmono, Max Cooper but also recalls the classic emotive, melancholic euphoria of early 90’s classics like FSOL’s hit Papua New Guinea and Orbital’s Halcyon. The depth of this release is staggering and awe-inspiring with four versions wringing every ounce of emotion, propulsion, hypnotic propensities, and excitement from the songs’ heart with enough to move you to tears (not dissimilar to Papua New Guinea having eight versions spread over almost an album to itself in the 90s). A song that definitely makes you feel like you’re in a dream.
The Original mix is a spellbinding track in essence, delivering melancholy and euphoria in equal measures, and managing the impossible by capturing the emotive spirit of rave’s discordant riffs in a piece that works for home listening as well as tearing up clubs. Hypnotic, wistful melodies and pads jostle with syncopated breaks & beats, and the wistful, dreamy melodies and the hypnotic synth work deliver a yearning, with a vocal to die for and supporting piano that Olafur Arnolds would be proud of, transports you to a lucid dream state with a hypo-inducing female voice interwoven throughout. The vocals sound so comfortingly familiar, it feels trapped in time and strangely familiar, evoking feelings of the timeless ethereal performances of Kate Bush and Tori Amos. However, The idea of it starting as a breaks track feels suspiciously oxymoronic as an adrenaline-fueled bassline drops in tearing through the track like a locomotive as the distortion and effects build aggressively alongside a tough, driving kick which enters the foray from the main drop – by then you know this is going to achieve the impossible and take you somewhere else. It works so well alongside the emotional core of the tracks swirling melodies and truly awe-inspiring, dreamy vocals that teleport you somewhere else delivering a rip-roaring club monster destined to decimate any dancefloor while inducing goosebumps; pure euphoric club dynamite. The Original Edit simply provides a shorter, more accessible version that feels equally essential and a different listening experience at almost half the length.
The Distant Breaks Version is a slice of refined melodic beauty as tranquil breakbeats suggest sunrise comedowns and headsy sessions rather than the peak-hours euphoria of the original. It cleverly utilizes the more entrancing, dreamy melancholy of the original mix to a heart-string tugging effect, layering gently stuttering synths and sumptuous melodies until the song’s peak where the addictively euphoric vocal takes over introduces a slightly melancholic but vocal loop that feels just so satisfying and leaves a sense of longing; as the lyrics impress. Finally, Jamie’s Soundtrack Version completes the package and frames the key elements and found sounds into an ambient dreamy cinematic track that feels like you are watching a movie as it plays with your mind and your ears.
Release date: February 24th, 2023.