Alex Kunnari - Lifter..

Judge Jules Monster Massive 2007



Tiësto 2.11 ruotsissa..



vähän heiluu.. ; )

Release of the year? I think it just landed....


Friday 09th, November 2007 Alex Kunnari - Lifter
Updated: Saturday 10th, November 2007

Alex Kunnari hails from the trance hotbed of Helsinki, Finland and has been involved in the DJing/producing business for fair few years now, in fact a good 15 of them. To me, he is new name but you may be familiar with the alias Modulation who, with Heikki L, he has made some hard-hitting trancers like ‘Sky’ and ‘White Flame’. His debut solo single, ‘Lifter’ has been picked up by Black Hole Recordings for their In Trance We Trust sub-label and been beefed up with a bumper pack of mainly Finnish remixes. If anyone knows a massive record, it’s them. This is beyond massive.

Original Mix

Let’s start with the Original, seems like a very good place to start, to paraphrase Julie Andrews. Chunky beat and percs combined with underlying echoing sounds form a solid intro, before a teasing sub drop and an excellent plucked hook launches a downright dirty and utterly funky electro bassline. A sparkling melody arcs in, before taking off, building into a blistering electro trance groove, with the bassline rising and dropping to create maximum euphoria. Sliding down into the break the various elements fade down to silence as uplifting pads introduce the gorgeous plucked harp-like lead melody. It really is a thing of beauty, quite moving in fact – it has been a while since I have heard a melody as emotive as this. Kunnari has considered carefully the notes and synth sound that he uses, which in these random-key times of trance is a refreshing thing. It then dives head first back into the electro groove, with the pads pushing the uplifting energy to the max. Before long the sublime melody re-enters, to stunning effect. After the euphoria, a sub drop takes it back to the dirty start, maintaining power right to the finishing line. A breathtaking electro trancer whose immense power is even more surprising when you consider the pretty low 132 BPM.

JS16 Remix

JS16 has been a bit quiet of late, although he has graced us with the excellent, and slightly overlooked ‘Rosegarden’ this year. He doesn’t alter the opening segment much, just adding an extra layer of dirt to the bassline. It is soon apparent he is taking the track down a techier route, with an excellent double beat build up into some superb bassline madness that will drive dancefloors insane. The way he plays with the bass is a treat for the body and one that is impossible to keep still to. Reaching the breakdown, again, he doesn’t change much originally, leaving the sweet, sweet melody playing in full. It’s not long however before he takes it back to the bassline fun with no reprisal of the lead, instead using the build-up melodies from the original to soften it slightly and create extra interest before the end. Excellent dancefloor remix that I can see taking up permanent residence at the front of the techier DJs CD wallets.

Miika Kuisma’s Three Floors Remix

The impeccable Miika Kuisma, fresh from releasing his excellent new artist album, is on hand for the progressive style remix. A steady, firm kick builds with one of his mesmerising melodies to create a hypnotic opening, rising into a break as the uplifting pads are joined by the second half of the original’s lead for maximum tranced out effect. This rushes up before dropping into a bottom heavy, almost drum & bass style bassline. Groovy! This matches the dense melodic trancy melodies perfectly creating a highly original groove, building up to a peak with that hook into a full on bass section. Wub wub wub! It throbs away superbly, building up one final time before dropping into the long roll out. A fantastically original, breakdown free, bassline focused remix from Miika, dripping with quality.

Paul Webster Remix

Armin’s choice, fresh Irish talent Paul Webster breaks Finland’s hold on this release. Thumping kick, excellent use of the plucked hook and yelps mean the record is fast out of the traps. There’s a short break and that awesome bassline is brought in. Webster doesn’t alter the style of the original much, just phattens it up, ramping up the BPM to create trancefloor nirvana. The euphoria he creates is intense, the combination of furious electro and trance complexity breathtaking. Wasting no time, he throws the lead right in at the start of the dreamy breakdown. A snared build up thrusts back into the evil bass, with maximum tech-trance funk. The main melody doesn’t reappear here but uses the others to maximum effect as he reaches a second breakdown. I normally despise two breakdowns, but here it is more than worth it just to hear that gorgeous melody one more time before launching into the fast and furious closing segment. An absolute beast!

Joonas Hahmo Remix

The excellent Joonas Hahmo steps for the final remix and prepare to be surprised. His usual attention to detail is apparent in the opening minutes, with a wobbly, funky bassline fading in, before surprising with an old school sounding synth stab melody. With the groovy bassline, and 128 BPM pace this is effectively a house record, however house with the usual Hahmo melodic touches. He builds up excellently with a dash of electro, into the first breakdown, with a gentle melody the evolves wonderfully into a hands in-the-air old skool rave piano riff. Before long the funky bass is back, with the Hahmo melody played in full. The wobbly bass then takes off on a new tangent and a new, delicate piano melody enters, going almost jazz on us at one point. Nice! The main breakdown is finally reached. A sole beat thumps away, with pads rising to a euphoric rave piano climax and a snatch of the lead again, before back to the groove, with the piano joined by the Hahmo melody to create an excellent, feel-good peak. A hard to define record, this has so many twists and turns, completely flipping the original on it’s head and possibly his finest remix to date.

Conclusion

As we reach the final two months of 2007, I can’t remember hearing a stronger package than this all year. Every artist involved takes the wealth of riches available in the original record, especially the exceptional melody, using it to each of their own personal strengths superbly. I really can’t pick a single track as a favourite here, they are all special in their own ways and all suit different floors and different styles. The JS16 is the one most primed for immediate dancefloor detonation with some of the best bassline action you will hear all year, yet maintaining the melodic flair of the original. Hahmo twists it right round with a remix that could be played anyone from house DJs to progressive with a delicious old school style mix. Kuisma stays focused right on the bassline for a mix that would funk up any early set while if you want straight up melodic, euphoric action then you won’t find a finer record than the Paul Webster remix this year, or no doubt for many months to come. Release of the year? I think it just landed. Absolutely mind-blowing on multiple levels.

Tracklisting

Original 7:14
JS16 Remix 6:33
Miika Kuisma’s Three Floors Remix 8:25
Paul Webster Remix 8:26
Joonas Hahmo Remix 7:07

Release date: 26th November

Written by:
frombeyond

Juuri tullut tieto DJ magazinen arvostelusta..

Alex Kunnari

‘Lifter’

(Blackhole)

5/5

Thus far, Finland’s Alex Kunnari is probably best known as one half of Modulation. A fine solo turn on the remix of PVD’s ‘Let Go’ and a stunning debut single here, in the form of ‘Lifter’, and that could be about to change. His original gathers influences from across the trance span (deep, electro etc), but ultimately plays out as a lamenting melodic delight. Enforced by a gripping, analogue-edged minor riff in the first half and serpentine mid-section breakdown, it transfixes from start to finish.

Täältä löytyy JS 16 sekä original ja loput remixsit julkaistaan vasta 28.12.2007..

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/85811/

Josba, 30.11.2007 10:32:
Ja muutkin pitää: Audiojellyn myyntilistalla kolmantena! =)

Sekä beatportin trance puolella..
https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/home/detail/1/welcome_to_beatport