hard:edged - hedge011 & hedge10R - Review

Spectraz

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Joined
Mar 4, 2002
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Pentagon
A. Zero Gravity AA. Friday Night
Hedge011


First up we have the release from Pentagon in the form of hedge011, which is on the funkier tip. Pentagon (M. Murayama, K. Yamasaki, and A. Kaneko) a Japanese trio that has released songs on labels such as Frontline, Krush Grooves, Loot, Maui, Precision, Breakbeat Research, and Hard:edged, and they are likely to have a few more tunes forthcoming. With this release they have a sound that reminds me of Makoto.

The lush opening of "Zero Gravity" carries us instantly into an emotional state of mind. The beat comes in and starts to pick up the pace, and the vocal hook, at the end of each section, helps prepare for the drop. The atmospheres in this tune, though repetitive, work really well, and do not become boring, as with some other tunes. In fact, Pentagon utilizes the notion 'less is more' to give that "certain feeling" while listening or dancing to this song. This is the perfect tune to throw into a mix if you need to soften things up without losing the groove of a set. The vocals are used just right, not too much, not too little and the end is very mixable as the bassline fades and the lush atmospheres and laidback beat remain.

If you like "Zero Gravity" you will definitely like the flip "Friday Night". It has the same emotional tease and laidback feeling. It has a female vocal that works just as well as the vocal in "Zero Gravity", and the atmosphere is pleasant. The groove compliment is a James Brown sample "uh", which I like. If you are searching for something unusual, look no further. As a DJ you have to introduce new sounds, and when all the DJ's play the latest songs the dancefloor gets boring. When this song is dropped I get excited, and it would be very hard for people to identify this track, which is a good thing. DJ's, in my opinion, have to play more unknown gems, and this can be one of your unknown gems when you have to get the crowd going.

This release should be out on promo now, so search for it, and definitely give it a chance. This would go off if mixed into or out of a heavier tune. Both tunes have only one breakdown. This is purely Blissful-laidback-minimal-unheard-of-funk.


One:soul
A. Spend The Night [Total Science rmx] AA. Spend The Night [Kabuki rmx]
Hedge 010R


One:soul's "Spend the Night" is a really chilled, and emotional track with a depth that really impresses me. What is more exiting is hedge010R, the remixes of "Spend the Night". Both remixes are true remixes that change up the vibe and have a completely different sound than the original.

Kabuki's remix is more uplifting, kind of like the sound from Pentagon on hedge011, however, Kabuki also captures the depth and chilled aura of the original in certain parts of the remix which makes this even more interesting. We are faced with the emotional depth and the uplifting funk in a mixture of soft keys, lush soundscapes and with the original vocal to capture our attention. This is one of Kabuki's best remixes to date according to Hard:edged, and guess what, I believe them. We are taken on a musical journey, with clean and tight breaks and does not let you loose interest.

The flip is kind of what I was expecting from a Total Science remix. They use the vocal just right to mold it into the track. The strings make up the essence of the track, with the help from Total Science' breaks. The bassline promotes Total Science' current sound, which with the strings sounds like an entirely new track.

Hard:edged picked the right producers to remix "Spend the Night", as this will hopefully end up in the bags of Total Science fans as well as people that follow Hard:edged and Kabuki. Neither remix will not go by totally unnoticed. This one should be available now, if not very soon.

I would also like to say something about the sleeve work of Hard:edged. It is simple and the entire graphical layout (which is so crucial to labels these days) looks great. I like the contrast between orange and black, and the pictures of needles and cartridges works very well.

Spectraz Of Drum 'N' Bass - features
URL: Hard:edged

Text courtesy of Spectraz and edited by DVD. 11/6/02 ©
 
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