Artist: Halobeatz feat. Curly Loops
Title: Infected Ballerium
Label: VIM [VIMBREAKS057]
Release Date: Mid-June 2010
Tracklisting:
01. Original Mix
02. Will White Remix
03. Sifter & Adan Remix
04. The Scientifics Remix

The unique lineup of artists on this release prompted me to give a listen and share my thoughts right away. And the verdict? Another quality VIM release, no doubt.

Original Mix
Cologne’s boy wonder takes on his third release for VIM, this time in cahoots with France’s Curly Loops. I had to listen to this one about five times before being able to pin down its sound. Thick, phat breaks, distorted bass stabs, and a trancey synth melody make for quite a treat. Lightly sprinkled female vocal samples, a flurry of otherworldly effects, and the faintest of pads round out the aural candy that is Infected Bellerium.

Will White
Formerly one-half of late-90s big beat legends Propellerheads, Will White went on to produce some killer breaks tunes in the noughties (Wait A Minute, for one) under his own name, as well as under the Pimpwax guise. For a while it seemed as though he’d fallen off the face of the earth. But with his recent release on Dead Famous and now this beast set to be unleashed, are we witnessing a comeback? Let’s hope so. White’s old-school-inspired remix of Infected Ballerium, while having little to do with the original save for the female vocal sample, is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This party animal of a tune adds a funky male vocal sample, along with a few signature old-school sounds, to give it an overall electro-breaks feel. My only complaint is that it should just be released as its own tune!

Sifter & Adan Remix
Another outfit we haven’t seen much from in recent years is Sifter & Adan, but they, too, seem to be back in the game. The duo were known previously for their deep bass and this reworking is no exception. It’s a short, laid back breakbeat affair that maintains the original’s main synth hook with a little added distortion. Though funky all the way and heavy on the bass, this remix somehow maintains air of chill-ness.

The Scientifics Remix
Greek trio The Scientifics–the men behind the VIM imprint–round out the package with a warm tech-house ditty. A live bassline, and proggy synths accompany the original’s melody and vocal sample (“music is my medication”). This 4/4 reworking is out just in time for the summer festival season and is sure to get you grooving.

Artist: Lady Packa
Title: Funk Soul Now/Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000
Label: V.I.M. [V.I.M.BREAKS051]
Release Date: Early April 2010
Tracklisting:
01. Funk Soul Now (Original Mix)
02. Funk Soul Now (Rektchordz Remix)
03. Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (Original Mix)
04. Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (RuN RiOT Remix)

It’s been a while since my last review, but I’m back with a vengeance. Although the two original tunes on this release are just so-so, the RuN RiOT and Rektchordz remixes are absolute stormers. See details below…

Funk Soul Now (Original Mix)
This is Packa’s signature techy breaks through and through. Dark, deep, and rolling with some proggy synth stabs coming in midway through, “Funk Soul Now’ in fact belies its title. A short but eerie breakdown that builds quickly into the track’s dénouement–probably the neatest-sounding part of the track.

Funk Soul Now (Rektchordz Remix)
In keeping with the original’s theme, the Rektchordz remix is tech-breaks all the way. The buzzing bass stabs and thick breakbeat stand in artful contrast with the eerie synths and atmospherics of the original. This is less in-your-face compared to other Rektchordz tracks I’ve heard, but the bass alone should do wonders on the dancefloor in the wee hours of the night.

Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (Original Mix)
The flip of Packa’s single maintains the dark mood established in “Funk Soul Now,” but this time it’s more straightforward 4/4. The Elise 5000 vocals are—shall we say?—provocative, as is the synth pad that sweeps in and out. Though we could do without the sparse and somewhat random vocals, the aforementioned pads are probably the best part of the track.

Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (RuN RiOT Remix)
Tom RuN RiOT’s take on “Pretty Bop” is more aggressive, as you might have guessed. Is it 4/4? Is it breaks? It’s kinda hard to pin down—like most RuN RiOT tunes. Regardless, distorted bass accompanies the original track’s rolling percussion, and the vocals are used sparingly (thank you!). Between the reworked drums and squeaky synths added over the original pads, we feel a dash of funkiness here. DJs: the intro and outro are super-short, as per RuN RiOT’s modus operandi, so be prepared to mix quickly, setup a loop, or make your own edit!