Artist: Balcazar
Title: Boots & Skirts
Label: Ascension Records
By: Jason Calvert | 3 July 2006
Tracklist:

• 1. Original Mix
• 2. Jeff Belfi Mix
• 3. MaherKD 'Boots Up In The Air' Mix
• 4. K-Roxx 'Kinky' Mix

Balcazar "Boots & Skirts"

'Boots & Skirts' marks the first release for Jeff Belfi of Blue Room Project's Ascension Records, which has some seemingly exciting projects to look forward to. Whilst it is a nice release to set the ball rolling for the label, two mixes on the release are easily far superior to the other two, which sadly lowers the tone of the release somewhat.

The 'Original Mix' has a positive and clubby sort of vibe to it, but is fairly simplistic in its nature. The melody is bordering between a progressive trance melody and an electro one, but comes out slightly weak. A strong bass section thankfully keeps things rolling throughout. Overall it was a nice tune, but something was lacking, and it didn't quite stand out.

However I was swiftly tripped from behind when I heard Jeff Belfi's take on the track. He has really got stuck into this one and turned it inside out to create one of the most unique productions I have heard all year. His choice of synths is impeccable, and the arrangement of the parts has done wonders for the original. Haunting at times, even funny at others, but truly amazing throughout. This is one you really cannot miss.

After this I wasn't sure what to expect from the rest of the release, but was sadly a little let down with MaherKd's uninspired take on the original. The feel is basically the same as the original, but the melody has been pushed back, and a few effects have been scattered about. This didn't do anything for me at all, and it is a shame when compared to both Jeff Belfi's take on the track and...

John Elliott's 'K-Roxx Mix! A name you should all know from his Trafik fame, Elliott provides an earth shattering interpretation to finish off the release. Just as Belfi really got stuck into the track, John has done the same, but gone in a different direction to Jeff. John takes the original melody and works up an entirely new foundation for it to rest on. A plethora of his own elements are used, but they definitely needed to bring the original up to this level of quality. This mix left me with a smile on my face, and hence it makes a great ending for the release.

I'm saddened that in between two average efforts, we have two extremely amazing tracks which simply cannot be passed up. The level of quality and involvement they showcase is remarkable, and hence I will be certainly looking at future Ascension tracks. We can only hope that the releases will showcase nothing but this level of quality in the future!