Artist: DJ19
Title: Ocean Drive
Label: 19 Box Recordings
By: Simon Jones | 17 November 2003
Tracklist:

• A: 2003 Mix
• B: Noel Sanger Deco-Retro Funk Mix

DJ19 "Ocean Drive"

Originally featured on DJ 19's 'Essence Phase II' mix compilation back in 2001, 'Ocean Drive' now gets a release in it's own right on his own 19 Box label. Updated for 2003, the track ventures away from the usual DJ 19 sound and into more experimental waters, but fear not as for those traditionalists a remake from none other than Noel Sanger is provided to keep you happy.

The groovy drums and strings of DJ 19's '2003 Remake' bring an almost cinematic vibe to the track, sounding more like incidental music than a progressive house track. Quirky drums and an even odder vocal wander around the drifting house groove, but you are just left wondering what this track is trying to do. Nice ambience and mood but that's about all she wrote on this one.

'Noel Sanger' turns things around with his usual production prowess on the remix, delivering a rolling 4/4 remix that retains the strings of the original but drops them into a more solid groove and tighter drums, with some great key and tempo changes finishing off the mix in a upbeat fashion. Whilst not on a par with some of Noel's other work as of late, it's a decent little remix, but cannot save this single on it's own.

19 Box have always had a tendency for the strange and quirky tracks, but this one just doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. I am sure someone somewhere will be feeling this a lot more than me, but it leaves me feeling a little confused indeed.