Artist: Steiger
Title: Postcard From The Edge
Label: Bedrock Records
By: Simon Jones | 30 April 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Original Mix
• B: Aurora Mix

Steiger "Postcard From The Edge "

Simon Rogers has been producing music long before 'progressive' was a dirty word. In fact he was producing long before the 'progressive house' boom of the mid 90s. Working with artists from 'The Fall' to 'The Lightning Seeds', to being involved in projects with Boy George and Jeremy Healey, a partnership which spawned the much accoladed 'Generations of Love', this is merely the tip of Simon's credentials. Alongside Shem McCauley he worked on Slacker and RAMP, and on his own created projects including Lautrec and Leuroj. His most recent venture is a project known as Steiger, and 'Postcard From The Edge' is one of the first tracks he wrote for it sometime ago now, but Bedrock have ensured that it has made it's way to the shelves, introducing us to the sounds of Steiger..

From the moment the beats kick in on the 'Original Mix', the analogue style pads roll across the electronic groove which sits underneath. The eerie outer world style vocal then emerges, sifting out through every gap in the track, at times suffocating as it stamps it's dominance and control into the soundscape. Deeply atmospheric effects add a sinister edge to contrast the emotive vocal, the percussion introduing a superb piano line which adds to the dramatic grandeur of the track. It builds until it climaxes in a break where the melody lurks in the depths of the darkness until finding it's route once more, cutting through squelchy beats and rolling loops in one final adrenalin rush led move to the light at the end via the outro. A track that envokes emotion and imagery, placing you right in the centre of it's world. Suddenly the name seems quite apt..

The 'Aurora Mix' on the b-side eases off from the direction taken on the original and opts for an ambient style intro, tight drop loops and warm bass coming together to form a slow rolling groove which sits underneath the vocal which leads the pace of the track, combined with a soft piano melody. A long break comes early on, swirling effects concealing the transition to a more upbeat percussion led direction, drawing out the vocal and sounds with the beats, emphasising each glorious key change as it builds to a breathtaking finale. A track that would sit well in a warmup set, or is equally enjoyable in the comfort of your armchair, it's your choice.

A jaw dropping set of mixes which showcase a level of production sorely lacking in many of today's records, and there are still more to come, but don't wait for those, buy this damn 12" today, and if you still want more, you know where to look..