Skylark "I-Panik"

Skylark, AKA Buick Project, are the duo formed by Nic Fanciulli and Andy Chatterly. They appeared together on the scene some time back and have been known more predominantly for their remixes of names such as Deep Dish, Tears For Fears, X-Press 2, Syntax and most recently a banging set of mixes of the Rairbirds´ track "Calling". I-Panik is their first studio album and it works with the smooth house theme we´ve come to love from them.

Things kick off with a classy introduction with "Information". A muffled vocal sample plays contrast to a subtle groove while leading into the title track, which picks up the pace slightly. One thing I noticed at this stage of the album was the striking similarity of the first two tracks. Sadly, this is a theme which continues throughout the album, and I couldn´t help feeling that a bit more variation wouldn´t have been out of line.

"Movin" and "Look No Hands" continue with this vibe, whipping up a laid back/lounge sort of feel. Great for background music but slightly less interesting for detailed listening or the car. By "Who Cares" I was feeling lost with the album and there isn´t a whole lot I can tell you about it that I haven´t already mentioned with the previous tracks. Thankfully "Lightning Strikes" demonstrates a turning point of sorts. It strips things back much more yet still allows a cheeky bassline to propel the sound forward.

"Red" changes the sound yet again and the boys go vintage this time. However, "All I See" is the highlight of the album. It packs more of a punch than the rest of the album and would be well received by fans of their remixes. "Saved" is the final track on the album and it is quite a strange way to end the album. Not as much attention was given to how the album ended as opposed to its lush introduction.

This brings up the overall structure of the album. Aside from the introduction, the album doesn´t have a strong sense of direction and came across as being more a collection of tracks than a complete album. Whilst it would serve as nice background music, I couldn´t help but feel underwhelmed. Perhaps my expectations were a little high.

So then why the 6 / 10 you´re probably asking? Counter-intuitively, the remix disc is where the real goodies are. Usually when a remix disc is included with an album, I see it as an afterthought, simply a collection of mixes to supplement the main dish. It is very rare for a remix disc to steal the show entirely! Its quality stems from the diverse choice of remixers. We have everyone from Joel Mull to Funk D´Void to UNKLE!

The diversity of the disc is magnificent. Manuel Tur opens up with a subtle and sexy take on "Information", while soon after we have Joel Mull banging it all out on his mix of "Saved". Tolfrey & Inxecs throw down a pulsing minimal interpretation of "Escalator", but the real highlight is UNKLE´s dark and brooding take on "Movin". It is a mix which is not easily forgotten and deserves a big sound system to fully appreciate. This is complemented by the final track, Joris Voorn´s mix of the same track, which is more upbeat, but feels slightly weaker in comparison.

This is an interesting release for two reasons. Firstly, I expected more variation and perhaps a little more structure from Fanciulli and Chatterly. Secondly, this would be one of the first times I´ve preferred a remix disc to the main album. If you really love the laid back/loungey sound then chances are you can find more to stimulate your ears than I-Panik. However, if you´re looking for some hot and maybe lesser known tracks to throw down in your next set, or perhaps you´re wanting to fill up that iPod with some interesting beats, then you should certainly hunt the album down if only for the remix disc. It will be well worth it.