- Veteran producers Matrix & Futurebound make precise, polished drum & bass that's hard-hitting but accessible. Much of their music has crossover appeal, but this remix of 2008 UK garage hit "Fallin" is particularly radio-friendly thanks to vocals provided by Mutya Buena, former member of pop trio Sugababes.
The track is a good example of what can happen when pop meets drum & bass—a shiny, bouncy number that wouldn't be out of place on UK's Radio 1. The producers dispense with Agent X's gritty garage drums in favour of a clean, punching kick and snare that sit prominently in the mix. Mutya's vocals, faster than in the original, have an urgent but sweet quality. Matrix & Futurebound rarely leave rough edges on their music and, like everything else in the track, the editing on the vocals is technically perfect, in marked contrast to the somewhat lo-fi vocal chops used in the original. All in all, the track maintains the techy, electronic sound the producers favour while keeping the pop elements that made the original garage tune so good.
With the technical standard set so high, there was a risk of ShockOne's remix sounding slightly weak in comparison. Unfortunately the Australian producer's effort doesn't quite match the technical expertise of Matrix & Futurebound. Mutya's voice sits uneasily with a rather uninspired piano line and the vocal edits feel a little clumsy. ShockOne is a considerable talent but unfortunately this track is not one of his best.
Tracklist A Fallin' (Matrix & Futurebound Remix)
B Fallin' (ShockOne Remix)