Artist: Robins & Harcourt
Title: Revolution
Label: Baroque Records
By: Evan Arnett | 13 February 2006
Tracklist:

• A: Original Mix
• B: Martin H Mix

Robins & Harcourt "Revolution"

Robins and Harcourt (that is, James Harcourt and Jerome Robins of Release Records) team up to bring us a new single on the always impressive Baroque label. Baroque has long been synonymous with quality dance floor bombs, and this release is no exception.

In the original mix, syncopated hand drums immediately fill the space between a light electronic beat, building anticipation for the incoming kick drum. Soon, extra layers of expertly programmed rhythm pull the listener into the groove. Open hihats dance around the building percussive momentum as a reggae style vocal hook breaks its way through the mix, collapsing into the initial breakdown. Before long, the beat comes back in full force, this time joined by a descending chromatic bassline that really gets the track underway. The vocal hook filters in and out as new synth layers arrive on the scene and push forward the song’s development. A snare roll brings us into a larger breakdown as the bassline is filtered up and a new spoken word hook takes the spotlight. Soon, the bass filters back down as the suspense builds and explodes into the song’s groovy climax. The one-two punch of a great bass and solid rhythm programming make this release a winner.

Martin H adds his talent to the remix, immediately starting things off in his characteristic electro influenced style. With a fantastic album recently released on the Invent label, this artist continues to build steam in the dance music world. Adeptly designed quirky percussive sounds work their way around the groove, building the tension and braking down, where the original bassline is brought into the mix. Another breakdown soon follows, and the vocal hook is filtered in. The interesting thing about this mix is the unusual placement of the breakdown, which happens well before the midpoint of the song, rather than the more standard 3/4ths of the way through.

Because the song is so heavily dependant on its bassline for its immediate identity, both mixes end up sounding fairly similar at first listen, the only dead giveaway being the electro house influences of the Martin H mix. A little more variety between mixes might have given this release a wider appeal, but both these songs could easily find their place in any well-programmed set.