Artist: Keenan Vs Anderson Feat ENDC
Title: Drift Away
Label: SOG Chrome
By: Nick Williams & Brandon Wade | 8 February 2006
Tracklist:

• A: Stel & Good Newz Dub Ride
• B: Original Mix

Keenan Vs Anderson Feat ENDC "Drift Away"

SOG Chrome has a reputation for bringing worthy dance music to the masses coupled with a slightly emotion tinge to it. For their next release they bring together two contrasting talents, Stewart Keenan and Dale Anderson, that when put in the studio together, meld into one cohesive hit maker. As head of Navigation records, Stewart Keenan has been a large part of pushing the progressive breaks movement over the last three years. Dale Anderson has some experience under his belt as well, with releases on Feed Me, Saved, and Duty Free, whilst being a studio engineer for some of the biggest names in the business. Together they have a release on Lost Language, and we will take that as their practice round for what is to come here. Stel and Good Newz bring us their interpretation as well, and with what they have brought us in the past, we are expecting big things. Their prior work really speaks for itself, and their reputation runs high.

The A Side is actually Stel and Good Newz's take on the original, and immediately their stamp has been placed on it, as they bring us a thick, rolling progressive peaktime trancer. This remix is thick and epic, with an extremely emotional vocal line that cuts to your core. It has a quality about it that drifts in and out with the arpeggiation and delays of the key stabs. This has big room written all over it, and we wouldn’t be surprised if your trance heavy hitters have lapped it up.

Having listened to such an emotional vocal line makes us wish that we would have heard the original first, as the vocal is definitely more in the forefront. Thick, organic percussion sets the stage here with trancey sweeps layered over the top with an eerie key line. Within a minute or so we are locked into the hypnotic nature of this low slung drifter. Once the vocal comes in, you glide away and get lost in its great reverb and echoes. The track doesn’t build too much on its own, but crescendos in the form of key changes, layered pads, and energy that the vocal brings later on in the track.

This definitely seems like this release would fare well on the charts, and that it is at the moment in the Balance Record Pool, with 'Drift Away' taking the number one position. From the first listen, with emotion spewing out from it, coupled with tight production quality, and floor-friendly breakdowns, it was no question. The balance of emotional trance elements with organic percussion is what makes this duo work well enough to have number one hits. We would not be surprised if these two decided to join forces more often. It seems to be paying off so far.