John Askew - Bad Apple

This is the best single from Discover’s main man Askew since the excellent Bored of You, Bored of Me dropped late last year. It’s got a similar edge to Vandalism but with more mongrel. The selection of remixes is spot on too with Discover favourites Sly One vs Jurrane, German veteran Tillmann Uhrmacher and NuDepth’s Danny Powers.
 
The original starts off with a typical slamming, steely kick and a few stray synths with a businesslike bassline soon joining the fun. A typically understated melody works its way in at the first mini-break before the pace picks up again. The main break features a distinctive melody, with some sparkling synths and a vocal sample that’s hard to place. As ever attention to detail is great, with a little distortion effect when he brings back in the kick. There’s a second break to try and let you decipher the lyrics in the sample… “thinking of what to do”, but all in vein before the kick stutters back in.
 
None of the remixes are quite up there with the original, but nevertheless they’re all good in their own rights, each offering a very different perspective. Sly One & Jurrane take an intense, darker path with a chunkier kick, and more of a rumbling subterranean bassline that growls along. There are lots of dark belching effects and a dirty acid-laced riff also kicks in.
 
Tillmann Uhrmacher also has a lot of fun with the squelcy acid theme, bringing it in early to underpin the track, whilst using lots of effects and faders to change between phases. The main melody is distorted, swirling around giving it a more twisted sound.
 
Last but in no way least is Danny Powers, who offers a floatier more euphoric approach, without compromising any of the slamming qualities that make the original so good. Initially he adds in a rough percussion and a bustling bassline, with lots of mid-frequency effects fizzing around, plus a little acid hook. He really goes to town on the melody at the breakdown, adding greater depth and texture to it which turns it into more of a spine-tingler, without sounding out of place with the vocal sample.