Artist: Dan Berkson
Title: People
Label: SAW Recordings
By: Nick Williams | 5 December 2006
Tracklist:

• A: Original Mix
• B: Dub Mix

Dan Berkson "People"

Dan Berkson is no stranger to the art of music making, having landed regular gigs by the age of sixteen playing jazz keyboard. Having music be a part of his entire life has led to the creation of some great dance tracks; most notably to us as some funky, peculiar deep tech house. Since his move to London, he has been releasing gems on some of the quirkier tech house labels. His Gourmet Recordings and Movim Recordings releases were where I found out about this guy, and since then, I have listened to everything that I could get my hands on. Working alongside James What he has broken into the minimal scene, releasing material on the celebrated Poker Flat Recordings. His latest solo venture on SAW Recordings, brings those minimal influences with him, along with dub and progressive inspirations.

'People' is one of those tracks that marries deep groovy beats that fit into nearly any point of a set, and quirky drug inspired sounds that can strike a core with anyone on the dancefloor. The original features a vocal that is heavily effected, and rides that fine line between funk, spoken word, and hip hop. The vocal is repeated with dub inspired chords, alternating itself with a glassy, delayed bell-like melody. The bassline marries itself to the melody very well, and as the track progresses, harder and sharper sounds and stabs make their way in, complementing the melody as well.

One would expect the dub version of 'People' to follow a similar progression, with the vocal omitted for those with vocal complexes. However, much to my excitement, the dub goes in a different direction all together. The beats are grooved a bit heavier and the focus of the song is more bassline oriented, with a hollow depth to it, as if we have significantly more reverb on the percussion. The percussive and tonal movements throughout the entire song are also more complex, something you may not pick up on at first listen, yet it is an aspect that makes me enjoy this version more in the long run. The breakdown brings more tension than the original, yet the energy is not brought up as high as with the original.

Take your pick, maybe make an edit of the two together, but first and foremost, give your ears the delight of hearing this release. With a spectacular upcoming release on the Crosstown Rebels imprint, as well as a schedule chock full of live sets alongside James What, it appears as Dan has found his niche, and I hope the releases keep on coming. If you are into this single, you must also check out his releases alongside James What on Poker Flat amongst others.