Simon Baker - 'Grey Area' Remixes

Simon Baker - Grey Area Remixes
2020Vision
House
August 2011

Here comes the first remix package from Simon Baker's most assured debut full length, Traces. The original, 'Gray Piano' is a house cut which initially balances on the edge of some trilling chords, but eventually falls off the other side into a deeper, rolling joint that keeps re-setting its grove for maximum tease effect. It's deceptively simple and delightfully airy.

First to tackle it are fellow Leeds chaps Robert James and Burnski. They strip the whole thing back to a less cluttered and more raw landscape. Then, they slowly re-build it, filling in the gaps with sci-fi motifs, elastic drum lines and ethereal vocal shimmers. The whole thing stretches off in every direction but really manges to drag you in to its melancholic groove... nice work and, importantly, work which stands apart from what you might expect from this oft Hot Creations aligned pair.

Meanwhile Pokerflat boss Steve Bug has a different vision: to start with his version is dark and anaemic, but when the original's hook makes an appearance over slower beats, it sounds all the more familiar. Some rather cursory, frozen synths slice through the arrangement towards the end, and do nothing to take any of the heat away from the other remix (or original for that matter).

Kristan J Caryl