Shaun Reeves, one of the key figures of the Visionquest tribe, has teamed up with minimal veteran Alexi Delano for a tour-de-force in the form of ‘The Breeze EP’. It consists of two deeply mystifying cuts and a remix by Thomas Merlchior.
Alexi Delano was born in Chile, raised in Sweden and then lived in New York for some time. This has granted him a musical style that combines the compressed elements of the Scandinavian style with the ingenuity of the Brooklyn sound. Being in the game for more than two decades now, Delano has a firm grasp on his musical image, re-inventing himself over and over again, swaying delicately between techno and house in his DJ’ing and production schemes. The Breeze is neither house, nor techno or minimal, it just floats gently between these genres and beyond, creating a very elaborate sound.
Title track ‘The Breeze’ is warm and spacious through the relaxed rhythm that works its way through a mix of delayed synths and xylophonic tingles. Charlotte Carter-Allen delivers the final touches with a lingering vocal hook that hits the nail on the head.
Runner up ‘The Mistral’ packs a bit more punch in the kick, and combined with a raunchy saw-bass this production immediately sets itself apart from the previous track. Miss Carter-Allen’s stretched out, haunting vocals lay out the foundation for a darker, second bass lead, one that could easily have been found on Maya Jane Coles’ recent Comfort album. The Mistral is an enthralling and mysterious quest. One that does not lead to any surprises near the end though, just a well-deserved need to experience the track again.
The release ends with a remix to The Breeze by Berlin-based Thomas Melchior, who is known for his collaborations with local hero Baby Ford. Melchior gives the Breeze a bit more bite, introducing more intricate dynamics in the rhythm section. The main melody stays pretty much identical to its original.
The Breeze is not your everyday EP, made with a focus on the dance floor – not that we would ever expect that from a Visionquest release – but is multidimensional in its style, covering aspects of both Reeves’ and Delano’s musical milestones over the past decades. And what I always love in a record like this, is when you can just as easily groove to it in a club as you could in your bedroom. For this means that it’s not just a dance record, it’s genuine music.
01 Alexi Delano & Shaun Reeves feat. Charlotte Carter-Allen – The Breeze
02 Alexi Delano & Shaun Reeves – The Mistral
03 Alexi Delano & Shaun Reeves feat. Charlotte Carter-Allen – The Breeze (Melchior Productions Ltd Remix)
