Artist: Loafer
Title: Dirt Bike
Label: Hope Recordings
By: Colin C. | 22 December 2006
Tracklist:

• A: Original Mix
• B: 16 Bit Lolitas Mix

Loafer "Dirt Bike"

It's been nearly five years since Alan Bremner's first original production as Loafer was unleashed on Hope Recordings, but now he's returned to the handle with his latest work, 'Dirt Bike'. Most of us might be more familiar with his co-horts Dave Seaman and Steve Anderson, who together with Alan crafted some well-received progressive trance with their track '1-800 Ming' as Brothers Love Dubs (the side project to the well known Brothers in Rhythm guise). With his last work as Attic out on Seaman's own Audio Therapy, he's returning to Hope and turning his focus back to his Loafer guise as an artist album has been rumored to be in the works. In the meantime 'Dirt Bike' is posed to stir us up in anticipation.

Jumping right in, the original kicks off with a typical kick and 303 inspired bass line filtering up. All ready we can hear that Alan has the current state of the dance community in mind as he pulls in a collection of crisp, compressed drum patterns over some warble-ly synth progressions. The track is accented with a good amount of energy as Alan moves around the electro-ish arrangement with some cool drops and fills. Five minutes in finds us about to drop into his break down where lush, yet interestingly thin pads maneuver in to ride us into a beat less break. It isn't long before he's back at the groove, this time twisting up and re-editing the synths in the standard fashion associated with this genre. The track has a good pace throughout, and manages to inspire some mild foot tapping, but with the over abundance of redundant 303 patterns lately, I can't help but to loose interest towards the end.

Thankfully for those of us looking for a little more to chew on Peter and Ariaan deliver a great re-working under their 16 Bit Lolitas guise. A heavier, more dynamic kick laced with a nicely filtered backbeat joins up with the original's main 303 line as the remix gains momentum. The focus still residing on the up front energy of the track, the duo find ways to add in some creative panning and filtering as the track moves into a clever break down before dropping in a heavy underbelly in the form of a great sub bass lick. Structure wise theres plenty of similarities to the original that keep it in the same relative ballpark, but dynamically this mix is way more entertaining and fun to listen to.

This is a typical solid release from Hope, yet nothing here is in the mind-blowing category. If you are in the market for some dependable filler for your set and are a fan of the parties involved, this will fit in your crate nicely.