Oliver Koletzki - Yes We Can

Berliner Oliver Koletzki needs to express himself on the dancefloor and make sure everyone’s ears are pointing at him. Big deal; but creating a socio-house track that could easily stop dancing feet in a momentary epiphany? There’s the imagery of the DJ preaching to his groove-seeking flock, and there’s Yes We Can.
As a potent, head-turning thoroughfare or set closer of the utmost drama – the tribal slapping of skins check the beat from fully kicking in (making the Radio Edit a wasted game of blink and you’ll miss it) – Yes We Can is a political broadcast/acapella waiting to happen, borrowing the cue cards from My House (“In the beginning there was Jack...”). Its power lies in its unexpected structure – first time listeners might shuffle off the ‘floor, though the overall influential nature will pull ‘em back. Roland Clark is elected to share his dreams from the lectern in a highly charged rally lead by pianos played damningly and strings undercutting with ill feeling. A Balearic moment prepared to stand up; this definitely won’t be everyone’s idea of fun as the beats and lights lower, but it does represent the heart and soul of music, the stream of consciousness working to provide its own version of inspiration and camaraderie amongst strangers. ‘We shall not be moved’ is the sentiment; the result will be the opposite. 

Remixing would appear to present a bit a taste/tact-based dilemma – how to go about it the right away? Enzo Elia makes the mission more danceable, but leaving Clark’s agenda alone doesn’t mean there’s an opportunity to undermine Koletzki’s groundwork. Elia builds tribal house whose deepness plunges into the night but is kept upright by twinkling sprinkles in the distance, and with kids chanting in unison, spirits are progressively lifted, though a creeping animosity makes time to look over your shoulder nervously as well. Koletzki has given you something to chew over; Elia provides the environment to go away and do just that.

What is a little unfair is that both make Umek’s mix surplus to requirements. The Slovenian’s sobering techno snoop is A-grade material when on its own personal manhunt, but of altogether lesser relevance when Clark’s slapped-on vocal , now sounding like he’s shouting orders after a jailbreak, doesn’t fit the track’s chases into danger zones.