Artist: Jamie Anderson
Title: Arion / Marengo
Label: Extrema Records
By: Chloe Harris | 22 August 2006
Tracklist:

• A1: Arion (Original Mix)
• A2: Marengo (Original Mix)
• B1: Arion (Rene Amesz Mix)

Jamie Anderson "Arion / Marengo"

Jamie Anderson is a prolific artist within the dance music community. His background stems from his early beginnings as a jazz keyboardist in Bristol, where he learned his skills for the future. His love for collecting keyboards soon brought forth his own interpretations on dance music incorporating sounds of Detroit techno, Chicago acid house as well as latin flavours. In 1997 Jamie released his debut solo effort on his own label Artform, and by 2001 he signed up with NRK to release his own album of material, while also building a DJ and remixing career. Today he’s still challenging his sound and his debut here on Dutch label Extrema with 'Arion' shows yet another side of this talented producer.

'Arion' is a cool and groove tech house track with housey beats and a swinging background. Electro synth bubbles create a cool percussive build riding along the drums, while airy long synths play in the background creating a slight harmony. The keys drop into a into a very electro house groove, riding up along them taking shape and bringing the song together. A quick stop of the beats, and the synth rises through, sliding across everything before twisting up and slipping back into the underlying groove and beats.

'Rene Amesz' reworks Arion into a bigger electronic tribal progressive sound. A slow filtered build starts in allow the melody to sparkle. Low warm bass rides up along keys until it’s all sucked up into a muffled filter. Tribal like beats step in strong and punchy, but the beats are laden with effects and drops making them very techy and crunchy. A recurring key tone tops the highs, while a funky groove settles in the bottom. All at once, everything drops off into a dramatic break full of spacey sounds and sweet synth work. The drums slowly making their way back stomping back in with a snare build and a nice long pull.

'Marengo' has a completely different feel to Arion. A real funky disco filtered house vibe with claps and quick high hats that shuffle around creating a good groove riding along a fat bassline. Filtered vocals appear and repeat constantly weaving in and out of another filter that floats between acidy and muffled.

This latest offering from Jamie Anderson is quality. With a myriad of sounds all working together there’s something here for the tech house lovers, the progressive heads and even disco house fans. His natural ability to conquer these styles proves yet again why he’s a prolific artist for our time.