Artist: Way Out West
Title: Spaceman
Label: Hope Recordings
By: Ryan Simoneau | 6 August 2008
Tracklist:

• A: Original Mix
• B: Robert Babicz Mix

Way Out West "Spaceman"

The boys are back! After a lengthy absence where Nick Warren took the helm at Hope Recordings and Jody Wisternoff’s solo career began to take off, they’ve once again put their collective genius together to unleash the new Way Out West single, “Spaceman.” After their last album, “Don’t Look Now”, which saw them go in a more vocal-led direction, “Spaceman” is a return to the powerful and emotive instrumentals that Way Out West have become known for.

From the moment the original mix came through my headphones and that trademark Way Out West breakbeat dropped, I knew the boys were back and armed with the melodic breaks I’ve come to love. As always, the layers and textures of the track are very rich and when the piano-led breakdown hits halfway through, you can feel the euphoric rush so often missing in electronic music. “Spaceman” sounds like a sister of sorts to the track “Coming Home” from the last album and that’s not a bad thing by any stretch. This is the type of sound Way Out West does better than anyone else and it’s been sorely missed in the years that have passed since their last album.

On the flipside, the boys have brought in Robert Babicz to give the track some dancefloor juice. Being somewhat unfamiliar with Robert’s work, after some investigation, I found him to be a competent and talented producer whose profile over the last few years speaks for itself. It goes without saying that his rework is a complete departure from the breaks tempo of the original. Robert has given the track its necessary 4/4, club-mandated mix but he packs plenty of the original’s emotion as well. This mix is certainly no slouch and sounds like something the Way Out West boys might have whipped up themselves for a dub version.

Overall, it’s great to hear from these legends again and while “Spaceman” may not break any new ground on the Way Out West sound, it does remind all the fans and dance music in general what it means to create something of substance. “Spaceman” is the exact opposite of all the minimal madness that has been so prevalent and if this single is an indication of the direction the new album will take, I for one cannot wait.