The latest release on C-Jay’s The Sessions Recordings welcomes Paul Sparkes to the label for his debut single.
The Dutch artist has a storied history in electronic music dating back over ten years. Paul has seen his music showcased by SexOnWax, Baroque Records and here’s one for for long-time progressive house fans, Silver Planet. Here he steps up for his final release of 2016 and also his debut on The Sessions with ‘Worgull’ alongside a remix from Michael & Levan and Stiven Rivic.
Going back over Paul’s discography you can definitely hear a penchant for warm grooves and timeless melodies. It’s pretty safe to say that ‘Worgull’ ranks right up there with his best work to date if not sitting as the standout production of his career. It’s fluid foundation is incredibly emotive, flowing through poignant chord changes as musical motifs intertwine above for the perfect harmonic complement. It’s quite epic and a lot of the time this style of track gets marred with a lengthy, overblown break, but the craftsmanship here is precise, with just the right amount of dramatic tension to avoid losing that great rhythmic feel. Gorgeous work from Paul.
The lone interpretation of ‘Worgull’ is provided by Michael & Levan and Stiven Rivic who are making their first appearance on The Sessions. The much loved trio have firmly etched their place in progressive house history. In addition to heading up both the Kunai Records and Mistique Music imprints, Michael, Levan and Stiven have found a home on Hernan Cattaneo’s Sudbeat Music and Cid Inc’s Replug Records. 2016 has been a remarkable year and as their sound continues to evolve 2017 holds even greater promise. Here they put a final notch on 2016 with an excellent interpretation of ‘Worgull’ taking the track into dreamier territory. The trio’s full, well sculpted grooves are immediately recognisable as they’ve reshaped the foundation into something much deeper and chunkier. The melodic elements come off much more indistinct and only really come to fruition during the main break. A classy remix and also a perfect complement to the original. I’d say it’s sets the standard for what we can expect in 2017 from Michael, Levan and Stiven who continue to rise with each successive outing.
Releases from C-Jay’s The Sessions are a rare thing but his keen ear always seems to pick out timeless gems just like this one. A great way to end off the year for the Dutch imprint and hopefully we see something more regular in 2017. Highly Recommended.
