Michal Ho - Take Away (Remixes)

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  • Tuning Spork keeps up its high standards with a remix EP of one of the highlights from Michael Ho’s new longplayer Screw the Coffeemaker. Ho is a regular on the label, both solo and together with Samim, and ‘Take Away’ really shows the range of his talents. It’s a laid-back house cut with a summer vibe and an immediately memorable synth line that stretches and evaporates like haze. Jon Jon's understated, dubbed out vocals come into view and then disappear, too, while elsewhere the bassline is constant, and constantly interesting. Sure, it's more relaxed and not as jacking as it could be, but the feeling is there and that's enough. This is my pick of these tracks, and it’s also evidence of a real return to a funky take on house. Rhadoo's remix is the sound of somebody banging their head against a door. It bears no resemblance to the original, not necessarily a bad thing. Stripped down to a pounding bass, it exists to be layered and manipulated. It's a tool to do a job with. That's all. Jona's contribution is African influenced and so bounces along nicely. The intro is handclaps and Bantu chanting which, in time, gives way to Jon Jon's vocal, which gets tweaked and twisted to become a rhythmic exercise in heavy breathing. The arrangement is good, too, resolving harmoniously. All in all, an interesting take on the original. You could say that the Rhadoo and Jona remixes are opposite takes on tribal – a combination of the two would be intriguing. Label boss Jay Haze's mix is the deepest here, and the most respectful. It's essentially a dub version of the original which occasionally amplifies the vocal, then brings it down to a clipped "Yeah", all the while letting the other elements scatter and fragment in the background. In some respects it's quite a fragile piece, but it has a solid backbone. Overall, this is a good and varied collection that shows a healthy understanding of melody and nuance. The original is the best of the bunch for me, but all four tracks are polished.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Take Away (Original) A2 Take Away (Rhadoo Remix) B1 Take Away (Jona Remix) B2 Take Away (Jay Haze Remix)
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