Artist: Christian Smith
Title: Flyertalk / Friendly Skies
Label: Bedrock Records
By: Andrew Rowland | 22 October 2008
Tracklist:

• A: Flyertalk
• B: Friendly Skies

Christian Smith "Flyertalk / Friendly Skies"

Over the years, Christian Smith has been responsible for an impressive array of tracks in his time. Whether by himself through his own Tronic imprint or in tandem with his long-standing production partner John Selway. Releases such as ‘Total Departure’ earlier this year have made the duo household names in techno circles while also crossing over to a much wider audience at the same time.

Christian decides to go it alone for this debut release on the Bedrock label and overall it is something of a nostalgic reference to the uplifting progressive house sound of four or five years back. Both of the tracks on this release having an uplifting peak time feel to them and share the same kind of instant accessibility, which made Smith and Selway's ‘Move’ for Carl Cox’s Intec label, a very successful cross over hit towards the end of the 90’s.

‘Flyertalk’ and ‘Friendly Skies’ in arrangement terms leave very little to choose between them. They both start off deep and techy, building nicely and introducing different layers of sound as they go. They also share very similar catchy melodic elements and pack a mighty punch in the breakdown stakes as well.

‘Flyertalk’ has commanded the most attention this summer with just about every major house DJ giving it serious rotation on the Ibiza club circuit. It’s driving sound and energy proving a big hit with the islands party goers. But for me, ‘Friendly Skies’, with its sweet melodies and infectiously deep wandering bassline, probably just shades the two tracks on offer here.

This is another high quality release from what is surely one of the most consistently outstanding labels on the scene. It’s rare these days for a release to present such a tough dilemma for a DJ in the terms of choosing between which of the tracks on offer to play out with both of these screaming to be played loudly.