Artist: Chable & Bonnici
Title: Ride
Label: Alternative Route
By: Nick Bower | 5 November 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Original Mix
• B: Have A Break Mix

Chable & Bonnici "Ride"

Every once in a while along comes a tune that is just so incredibly simple, infectious and downright colossal, can't be denied. Sadly, often its usually throwaway chart pap that lodges itself irritatingly in your head. Thankfully with 'Ride' it seems that things can go the other way from time to time, proving that a well produced, underground dance track can be as catchy as hell too.

Two of Australia's breakbeat titans, the multi-talented Luke Chable and one third of NuBreed, Danny Bonnici (AKA 'Db'), meet head on and the fruits of their labour is 'Ride'. Apparently written in a mere 4 hours and certainly a contender for 'hottest tune of 2003', 'Ride' has caused an excited buzz from both djs and punters alike. When such industry icons as Pete Tong and the man like Sasha are having kittens over a tune, you know there must be something pretty special about it. Sasha quickly took the track under his wing and has been playing it just about every opportunity he can! 'Ride' proudly took pole position in Sasha's Essential Mix set from Creamfields this year, Pete Tong made it his 'Essential New Tune' on his Radio One, giving it numerous plays thereafter and Sander Kleinenberg has included the track on his new highly acclaimed Renaissance compilation, 'Everybody'. Then there's the regular plays on the DJ circuit by such names as James Zabiela (who's recently been known to play two copies of 'Ride' together), Nick Warren and James Holden...the list of support for this track goes on...and on.

The 'Original Mix' starts off with a quick-paced, marching 4/4 beat, teamed with a little snare action which leads into a soft and jiggled bassline. Then, simply oozing from your speakers comes an achingly beautiful and extremely 'Airdrawndagger-esque' droplet synth melody. The sound wouldn't be out of place on Sasha's debut artist album, so maybe this is why Sasha has warmed to the track quite so much?). The track gradually ascends with its ever-growing and uplifting feeling, higher and higher it pushes as a plucked guitar riff then mirrors the sweet main melody. Then bang...it hits you...in slams a searing and phased bassline along with the 4/4 kick drum. The main melody is then introduced in a chimed synth sound as the tearing bassline weaves its way in and out of the mix. All sounds drop away to give us echoed and atmospheric synth noises and the euphoric mix of droplet, chime and guitar sounds. The track builds once again with these Summery elements, and, almost rollercoaster like, you know what's in store after the climb, but that you're still going to love the freefall on the way down. In kicks the whole mix of bassline, 4/4 beat, and synths to push the track on until its close. And that's essentially it! So simple and comprising so many basic elements that work incredibly well together. It really needs to be heard to be appreciated fully.

Flip for the 'Have a Break' breakbeat remix (been eating 'KitKat' chocolate bars in the studio have we boys?!). It couldn't be any better than the 'Original Mix' though, right? How wrong you would be, for when you get two guys like Chable and Bonnici on the case, you're never going to have a weak breaks remix, that's for sure. A crisp snare skips in backed by a tight and deep set of drums beats. Following exactly the same lines as the 'Original Mix', the 'Have a Break' remix judders and echoes its way through the watery droplet sounds, before the plucked guitar line drifts in. Once again you're hit by a gorgeous wall of sound, as the build up drops away and a slamming break punches its way through with the collection of melodies following. Throughout the track the sounds drop away, as per the 'Original Mix', but with the 'Have A Break' mix this time we get layers of increasingly heavyweight breaks. The track blissfully fires itself up to a heavenly Cloud 9 with a tough 'in your face' break and an angelic tune.

'Ride' - the original mix is a sublime dancefloor gem, certainly a classic in the making. The breaks mix is almost like a mermaid, luring unsuspecting ships towards the rocks - beautiful, yet hiding an utterly devastating side. It leaves you wanting to hear the track over and over again and not caring if you might get sick of it, or dream the melody in your sleep. This could well turn out to be Alternative Route's most hyped, most played and most enjoyed release to date. Inspirational. Watch this one fly.