- If delays hadn't postponed the release of this latest Pulshar single until now, it would have marked 2009 as a nearly perfect musical year for Pablo Bolivar. With his excellent sophomore album Recall on Regular, a mix for the revitalised Galaktika label plus a handful of solid singles, the return of his Pulshar project was almost the icing on the cake.
The new track, "Sacrifice of Love," from the Barcelona-based duo continues on from where the Brotherhood compilation left off, only here everything has a brighter air of pop sweetness to it. Sergio Aphro's vocal is breathy and comforting, whereas Bolivar opts for softer, almost cooing, synths. The dub elements may also be subtle, but they still cast a warm shadow beneath the shiny façade.
Pulshar normally brings out the best in their remixers, though Even Tuell's mix is somewhat disappointing. The staccato loops of vocals and prismatic beats get burned out looking for something more, like a bass run or a continuous melodic element, to gel everything together and break the inertia. However, Deeps Edayar and Sistema's previously unreleased takes on "Mantistyle" more than make up the difference. Edayar's remix is sonorous and seductive deep house with a well worked dub techno growl at its core to add a gruff streak. Sistema's intriguing mix is from another world altogether, blending a big '80s electro drum sound, acid synth pads and melodic licks.
TracklistA1 Sacrifice of Love
A2 Mantistyle (Deeps Edayar Remix)
B1 Sacrifice of Love (Even Tuell Remix)
B2 Mantisytle (Sistema Remix)