microCastle welcome Argentinean producer Mike Griego to the label for their 44th release, with BOg and Hermanez picking up remixes duties.
The title track ‘Idioglossia’ quickly builds a really unique, distinctive groove, with rich percussive elements meeting a catchy little hook and a pulsing bassline, and Mike Griego weaves in even subtler melodies as the track heads into the trippy, abstract breakdown, which sets a powerful, head-spinning second half. The remix of ‘Idioglossia’ comes from Bedrock’s BOg, riding high after his recent EP for the label. His version of the track borrows the warmth from Mike Griego’s original, while transforming the vibe with restrained percussion, sparse but heavy bass tones, and shimmering, layered rippling melodies, and distinctive vocal samples. The middle sequence throws in some dreamier synths, which add additional texture as the remix its lovely finale.
Mike Griego’s second original, ‘Limbo’, strides into view already showing some serious attitude, and its gentle pads soon give way to warped, acid-like sounds. There’s a melodic heart to the track, though, which is teased to the fore briefly in the main breakdown, where bubbling synths carry a memorable hook Hermanez’s remix gets going with heavy percussion and some serious bass action, before some gnarly growling synths and snare rolls take us deeper down the rabbit hole. As we head into the breakdown, gentle pads and Vangelis-esque synths set the scene for a subtle glassy melody, before the bassline reemerges and leads the way for a trippy finale. Overall, though, Hermanez takes the track in a direction that’s a bit too minimalist for my tastes, and I prefer Mike Griego’s original.
A new microCastle release is always worth hearing, and Mike Griego delivers the goods here as he always does. The highlight for my money, though, is BOg’s delightful remix of ‘Idioglossia’, which will further cement his reputation amongst fans of melodic and intelligent music sitting on the boundary between progressive house and techno.
