Franzis-D - Nicotine EP [Insomniafm Records]

[Giuli]

Franzis-D - Nicotine EP

Franzis-D is using a similar bass in his new EP called "Nicotine" timbre to those found in original mix it nonetheless moves forward a lot more cautiously. Taut stabs build and break the first three quarters of the song. The piece de resistance, however, is the whirling acid line which is introduced towards the finish. It's had all the usual 303 liquid wrung out of it, leaving just a damp, centrifugal motion to spin us towards home.

This basic substrate is solid, but on the whole, it doesn't really go anywhere. Instead, the rapid-jabbing synth-work marches on the spot and the layers seem to interfere with each other more than they complement. Jonatan Ramonda remix is a cracking and perhaps not quite final salute to the floor before the pair lead us into more of a sitting-down kind of appreciation, is an ample showcase of the genre's broodier side as woodblocks and bells tumult with techier stabs through an ominous dub vista.

Stefan DJordjevic remix is just a little more complex, but maintains the icy mood. Of course, it's conveyed by a gargantuan kick. On this, he lays flickering cymbals, hats and a penetrating three-note mantra. With its crumpled kick and robotic clacks, Sinior Cliff begins with a lighter feel in place of the suffocating low end, there are dissonant bell tones and nervous arpeggios reminiscent of any dance floor. But it beefs up fast, taking on a double-time breakbeat and another molten, swollen bassline, while incidental frequencies splay across the spectrum. Pummeling and relentless, it's a headbanger's ball, right down to the stars spinning dizzily around your temples.

T-Dallas provides some oomph on his remix, drums sound more roomy and alive, his crosshatching synths involve you in their undulations even off the floor, and that's even before the satisfying build about halfway in. Yamil Farag remix is an organ chords against rollicking percussion and drum machines and lays out electric pianos over slow, the instruments suggest songcraft, but the structure is tracky to the core.

Listen: here

Tracklist:
01.Nicotine (Original Mix)
02.Nicotine (Jonatan Ramonda Remix)
03.Nicotine (Stefan DJordjevic Remix)
04.Nicotine (Sinior Cliff Remix)
05.Nicotine (T-Dallas Remix)
06.Nicotine (Yamil Farag Remix)

Label: Insomniafm Records
Cat: IFMR039
Release: December 18th 2011
Style: Progressive House