Artist: Panoptic
Title: Harmonic Germs
Label: Minimal Records
By: Simon Jones | 2 December 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Original Mix
• B: Red And Blue Mix

Panoptic "Harmonic Germs"

Mr Prolific Mick Burns is back again with the follow up to undoubtedly one of his most popular tracks to date. That track was 'Surface', the debut single under his Panoptic guise, which received huge support, in particular from Sasha who played it religiously through the course of the summer. 'Harmonic Germs' doesn't quite follow the same route as it's predecessor, but is a right moody number in it's own right.

Edging in slowly courtesy of some shaker percussion loops, the 'Original Mix' soon falls into it's main groove, with slow bass drops giving the track's main melody hook a big wave like ripple effect. Low analogue style effects bring depth to the track, adding an echo to each melodic stab that flutters over the groove. Dropping through the break, the percussion leads once more, heading into a warm yet driving final section which makes this a nice mood setter indeed

'Red and Blue' add their own unique mish-mash style to the track on the b-side, adding a tribal rhythm to the track, but losing half of the key elements. In fact it it wasn't for the few elements that remain then you would be mistaken for thinking it's a different track altogether, and without those that form the core of the original, this just ends up being bland, repetitive and rehashed tribal nonsense and really implants a brown mark on what is otherwise a decent single.

The original, whilst not quite up there with 'Surface' is a solid track in it's own right, but the remix is just an appalling travesty and offers nothing to this package overall. If you're a Mick Burns fan then you will no doubt pick this up regardless, but for those of you who aren't but liked 'Surface' this is worth a listen if only for something on a similar tip.