Artist: Swain & Collingwood
Title: Never Be The Same
Label: GU Music
By: Jason Calvert | 15 May 2006
Tracklist:

• A1: Original Mix
• A2: Globe & Swain Mix
• B1: Trafik's 'Electrik Charm'
• B2: Richard Dinsdale Mix

Swain & Collingwood "Never Be The Same"

Low key and emotive, this track has been a favourite amongst many since it was featured on Electric Calm V.3. Swain teams up with vocalist Al Collingwood for an interesting and perhaps even slightly nostalgic outing on "Never Be The Same". The remixes featured give the track a much needed club workout and each give the track a highly unique spin which one may not have anticipated after hearing the original.

Built around lush pads and deep choruses, the Original Mix is quite an epic number. The atmosphere is lush, and the laid back tempo ensures no elements come on too strong. The production qualities here are very high, and it is evident that a lot of work has been put into the composition. However an instrumental version would have gone down much better for me, as I didn't quite feel the vocalist. His mood didn't seem to match the rest of the track.

The first mix comes from Swain teaming up with part of the much loved Dark Globe outfit. Deep electro hooks are the key here, and I found myself enjoying this a lot as only the faintest snippets of the vocal can be heard throughout. The guys have thrown down an interesting take on the original, but it didn't quite build up to what I was expecting from the onset. Great potential coming out, but it falls slightly short.

By far the hottest and most twisted outing on the release comes from the guys who will never fail to let us down, Trafik. The mix is insanely dirty right from the beginning, dropping heavy percussion and an absolute stormer of a bassline. The percussion builds as the guys start to fire trippy electro infused synths at our ears. As the percussion is stripped back for the breakdown, slight vocal snippets from the original echo out, and the energy can only be described as euphoric. This is the sort of track which can bring together everyone at the club when dropped at the right moment. The mix truly takes the release to the next level, and a large percentage of the rating I've given the release is due to this mix.

If you aren't worn out after Trafik's huge workout, then Richard Dinsdale steps up to throw in the final remix. This remix is a truly unique number, and was certainly not something I was expecting to hear on a Global Underground release. A tough electro bassline fuels the track with a touch percussion hook to back it up. As the vocals were layered in, I wasn't really feeling the sound, but as soon as the breakdown hits it all fits together. A charming melody emerges which has a lo-fi sound to it which is quite hard to describe. As the vocals flow over this, they seem to work themselves in well. The percussion carries this melody with the track throughout its remainder, and I was quite impressed by the creativity of the mix by the end of it.

This release is certainly quite an odd one to come from Global Underground, and it was most certainly the final two mixes which make it worth checking out. Globe & Swain also through down a sound remix which has a certain sound to it which will be played out by many for sure. As for the Original, if you liked it on Electric Calm, then any money says you will still like it here. Whilst it didn't quite work for me, you may find the older sound of Collingwood's vocals will appeal. The Trafik Mix however is not to be missed.