The inspirations for this mix were the recent singles “Cosmic Sandwich” and “Odyssey” by Steve Barnes, which showcase a new and interesting tangent on the basic micro/electro-house template. It was an epic, sprawling sound that combined the romantic melancholy of Michael Mayer’s “Immer” with a heavy psychedelic bent that engulfs you through a series of visceral repetition, trippy vocals, and wandering stratospheric synths. I’ve picked tracks here that complement this sound, and sequenced them in such a fashion that the music becomes more open and extroverted as time passes. Hence, things begin with the misty noir-ish glimmers of Anders ilar, move through the brisk druggy bliss of Ewan Pearson’s Closer Musik remix, and end up with some Italo/Metro Area influenced tracks by Jersey Devil Social Club and Justus Kohncke. This being the internet and not the club, I’ve taken the time to do some re-edits of the tracks in order to emphasize the themes of the mix. I hope you enjoy it.

01. Anders ilar - Treasure Gardens (Echocord)
02. Lucien-N-Luciano - Lilou Swan (Klang Elektronik)
03. Lawrence - Live At 37 (Dial)
04. M.I.A. - Ballad II (Substatic)
05. Nathan Fake - The Sky Was Pink [James Holden Remix] (Border Community)
06. John Foxx - Mr. No (New Religion)
07. Steve Barnes & Riley Reinhold - Odyssey (My Best Friend Limited)
08. Closer Musik - One Two Three (No Gravity) [Ewan Pearson Mix] (Out of the Loop)
09. Steve Barnes & Riley Reinhold - Memories (My Best Friend Limited)
10. Steve Barnes - Cosmic Sandwich [Extended Version] (My Best Friend Limited)
11. Geiger - Standing In A Line (Firm)
12. Kaos featuring Captain Comatose - Bang The Box (K7)
13.George Thomson - Laid Back Snack Attack [Ellen Allien Via Mix] (Crosstown Rebels)
14. Jersey Devil Social Club – Magnifique [Health Club Dub] (Environ)
15. Justus Kohncke - Elan (Kompakt)
16. Annie - Heartbeat [Alan Braxe Remix] (679)

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Taking cues from the naïve charm of Ada’s off-kilter sampled sounds, Metope attempts to slide his own awkward notes to these two punishing tech-house monsters. While “Libertango” works better, mining a grinding out a living amid a few synthetic rays of hope, “Parallel To You” uses the same melodic presets to a much calmer effect, lulling you to sleep over its length. An unaccomplished 12”, this one’s more for the middle of the set, rather than peaks or valleys.

Areal / Areal027
[Todd Burns]