The latest release on John Johnson’s 238W finds Jesse Oliver returning to the label for a brand new single.
Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, Jesse is making his fourth appearance on the US imprint after two compilation contributions along with his ‘Judgement Day’ remix collection. It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen any new material from the Finnish producer so his new single ‘Savage Wish’ is much anticipated. 238W has once again delivered an exceptional selection of remixes from Andre Sobota, Blue Amazon and Lucefora.
The release begins with the original mix and if you dig deep, vocal led tracks then you’re going to love this. Strong tonal themes, rugged bass stabs and a gorgeous male vocal highlight this dark club rocker. This sits nicely in genre neverland which is one of its strongest suits, there’s a broad appeal and although vocals (particularly male) are an acquired taste I can’t see many people shying away from this one.
The three remixes included all take the track in new directions so there’s some nice variety here. First up Andre Sobota takes that simple tonal theme and builds a fantastic musical narrative around it. The vocals come off a touch more indistinct and are more of instrument in pulling more emotion out of the melodies. There are few better at delivering goosebump worthy moments than Andre and he’s certainly done that again here. Beautiful remix and my fave on the release.
Next up veterans of the progressive house scene Blue Amazon provide their own quirky spin on the piece. The focus lies primarily on the tonal elements which come off a touch dubbier sounding here, while some wonderful vocal effects make for a much trippier vibe overall. A mammoth groove anchors the foundation and hearing it I can’t help but reminisce over some of the duos great remixes from what must be 15 years ago now. A stripped down second act lets those gigantic bass stabs breath for a moment, really giving you a feel for how cavernous the groove really is, before a well executed break builds tension and an understated pay off keeps things from going to big. Great remix from Blue Amazon and one of their best in recent memory I’d say.
The release concludes with Lucefora making his fifth appearance and taking the track into deeper more subversive territory. Wonky bass tones set the piece in motion while a reprocessed vocal snip adds a nice hook. Cymbal rides bring a wave of momentum into the break where the main motif builds anticipation as it flows through some tense modulation, before a drummy return seals the brilliance of the mix. Excellent stuff from Lucefora and a fitting end to a really well rounded release from 238W. Don’t miss it.
