Friday 22 May 2009

Rasmus Faber Feat. Emily McEwan - Never Figure Out - 2009 - Farplane

Faber should, in my honest opinion, be a bigger name. Known for all manner of remixes and interesting, solid tunes, he teams up here with Emily Swedish producer, musician (acclaimed jazz pianist!) and DJ RasmusMcEwan on the new single for Farplane Records, "Never Figure Out", a track lifted from his welcome new album, "Where We Belong". Possibly not for more conservative soul ears, this song will however get the more uptempo club heads on the bounce. I love my quality quiet storm soul and jazz more than anything but you're equally going to hear me slamming out house and garage tunes by the likes of the Black Science Orchestra, Kenny Bobien...and Rasmus Faber. Other days I'll be belting out 80s rap like Just-Ice or EPMD and other days Barbara Dickson, 10CC or Christopher Cross!!!! Thankfully today I am in a slamming mood, and this single, crammed with vigorous mixes sates my appetite for a tune that rumbles the bass-pins and scares away the neighbour's cats! On this single, Emily McEwan sounds a bit like Talita Long who appeared on the last 4Hero set - check "Play With The Changes" and see what I mean. The original mix is the one, I would cheerfully assume.

Here, the mood is chilled and very much in a nu-jazz mode complete with strings, bass and woodwind, this is not as punchy as Schema Records' dance output but far more subdued yet equally superb. This is a beautiful tune and one that most readers will openly embrace, even if they shy away from the harder, programmed House mixes! I am inclined to favour, of all the mixes the pumping beats of Alf Tumble's Dub. This has a great Harley & Muscle feel and a rumbling undertone that harks back to Donna Summer or Edwin Starr's disco hits of the late '70s. The expansive synths create a sound similar to that which we would expect from, say, The Freemasons. This is a more commercial cut but still soulful enough to attract the attention of soulful folks such as myself. The lyrics are at a minimum here, the jazzy flavours gone but the sensibility here is Club but NOT beer monster...you won't be hearing this on mainstream radio, however hip the consider themselves to be. If, on the strength of the original mix you are impressed, then please check out his full album. In stores NOW.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

Where We Belong