- When Thomas Melchior and Daniel Bell's collaborative track surfaced last month, the main question it brought to mind was, "Why hadn't they done this sooner?" As two of minimal's top dogs, Melchior, with his featherweight melodies and nimble beats, and Bell, with his earworm basslines and technoid funk, have done more than most in shaping the style's sound. (They even look alike.) Yet here they were, as Voyant Inc, laying down their first official collaboration, a sprawling, ten-minute groover that brings out the best in both artists. Called "Lost In Time," it's anyone's guess when it was made. Its abrupt intro and outro suggest that it's just a snippet of a cosmic studio session.
If perfect house tracks exist, "Lost In Time" is one of them. With a breathy vocal snippet, it skews towards Melchior, but Bell's techy drive is there. Both producers are bassline masters, so, unsurprisingly, the fat, rhythmic low-end is bliss. The tick of open hi-hats comes and goes, later entwined with a heavenly synth riff and a sustained pad. "The Warmth," a collaboration between Melchior and Fumiya Tanaka as Tofu Productions, is more upfront. Its straightforward bassline and kick hammers alongside the slapping percussion often heard in Tanaka's tunes, while twinkling keys offer a glimpse of light during its middle section. It's a heavier option, which makes it better suited to a party's busiest hours.
TracklistA Voyant Inc - Lost In Time
B Tofu Productions - The Warmth