Pierre Pienaar, P.H.A.T.T., Pierre Pienaar… there never seemed to be a great distinction between the two artists to warrant a pseudonym distinction. Undoubtedly, in either mask the man from Namibia would produce or remix tracks to a high standard, but for me personally, there was never really a big difference between to two. Melodia on the other hand has so far proved to be a distinction worth making. It’s still trance, but it has more relaxed, musical quality.
Motion Theory unashamedly screams Melodia. The original mix cuts a fairly edgy groove in the opening minutes, but the uplifting pad-lead one-two combo soon sets the scene for all that follows. People who think side-chaining is an overused tool may want to look away now, but it’s hard to deny that the pumping synths that comprise the meat of the track uplift the soul. The single adds two remixes to the package.
The Boy Hageman Remix doesn’t really stray to far from the original, adding some nice touches, but the real jewel in the crown of this release is the North Star Remix. It will be a surprise if this doesn’t received some serious backing over the next few months. It’s glorious in every way. The UK style pike stabs create a bubbling atmosphere over sparkling percussion and an energetic baseline, and the structure manages to pace the whole affair to perfection. It’s simply one of the slickest remixes I’ve heard recently.
As a package this is probably Melodia’s strongest release to date and worthy of any trance addicts attention. Pierre or P.H.A.T.T.? I’ll stick with Melodia for now.