Artist: James Harcourt
Title: Diaspora
Label: Release Records
By: Simon Jones | 21 January 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Luke Fair Mix
• B: Original Mix

James Harcourt "Diaspora"

James Harcourt is a producer / computer programmer based in London, UK. His first release came on Release as their second release, and this was quickly followed up with a remix of Oxygen's 'Troubled Souls' for the label. Now he returns with his follow up single, 'Diaspora'.

'Luke Fair' is one of the hottest remixers around, and in particular is a favourite of Deep Dish and the guys at Yoshitoshi, having remixed a fair amount of recent releases for them. Here he turns his hand to 'Diaspora', stirring his own blend of house into the mix, whilst stripping back the element, remaining only the most minimal of progressive elements, a big groovy bassline controlling sweeping effects and deep kick drum key changes which build and build to a moody and twisted break, and as the bells sound, the bassline crashes back in and twists your mind all the way through to the finale. Another magic mix from Mr Fair.

The b-side features James Harcourt's 'Original Mix' which opts for a heads down progressive edged direction, complimented by big drum arrays and driving percussion, slipping into some eerieness in the break before heading on darker and more emotive journey towards the end.

Another decent release from Release Records. Even though the original is over shadowed by the superb remix by Luke Fair, both offer something different an and as such is worth checking out. Forthcoming releases come from Powerplant, Starkid and Medway, which will feature a remix from the winner of the ongoing 'Trauma' remix compeition on the b-side, as well as another single from James entiteld 'Hysteria' Watch out for them.