- We don't hear many violin-laced bangers, but this EP has a few.
- How many house music producers down the years must have thought to themselves, "I've got it! A violin. No one does that," only to load up a sample, layer it over some drums and realise that in almost all cases it's a bad idea? House is a malleable format that can accommodate an unimaginably broad range of sounds. But there's something about certain types of instruments (brass being another example) that makes them especially tough to blend with a four-on-the-floor kick drum. There are exceptions to the rule, however, and Jovonn's 2017 track "Hesperia Soul" is one of them. It features a lead violin melody, the type of mercurial line that in another context could soundtrack a merry tavern jig. The New York artist simply pairs it with one of the warming grooves he's been cooking up for the past 30 years and the job's a good'un.
Messing with a strong idea that's been cleanly executed may carry some risk, but if anything these remixes slightly improve—or at least expand upon—the original. Karizma, working here as Kaytronik, offers two versions, the pick of which is the "Violince Dub," where an organ-like synth and a reconfigured bassline cast the violin in a dusky new light. David Anthony's "Afrohouse" remix is also more serious-minded than the original. Its tightly wound percussive vibe is, again, a good match for the violin. I'm going to plump for the Sean McCabe remix, though. Its Kerri Chandler-style bounce is irresistible, and the inclusion of that lead line means that, although we're dealing with a time-worn groove, it will still be one of the more memorable cuts of the night.
TracklistA1 Hesperia Soul (Kaytronik's Violince Dub)
A2 Hesperia Soul (Soul Kaytronik's Violince Beat Dub)
B1 Hesperia Soul (Sean McCabe Remix)
B2 Hesperia Soul (David Anthony Afrohouse Remix)