John Axiom – Ari [The Way Records]

Oscar Vazquez’s The Way Records makes it’s much anticipated launch with a new single from John Axiom. Once a fixture of the progressive underground, the Spanish artist has been quiet since April of 2014 when he remixed Ilya Gerus for Liquid Grooves. Electronic music fans will no doubt be delighted to see some new material from John and it makes for a hugely impactful first release from this exciting new imprint. ‘Ari’ marks John’s first single in over five years and comes alongside remixes from Pacco & Rudy B, Músculo and Oscar Vazquez.

Beginning with the original mix we find John sounding as fresh as ever with a creation that’s deep and poignant. On a backbone of tough beats comes thick slabs of bass and a sleek, meditative arp. Strummy motifs add a soulful touch as the main break commences while a smooth build effortless transfers energy into a musically powerful finale. A gorgeous creation from John and let’s hope this is a sign of more great music to come from the Spanish producer.

The remixers all do an excellent job here as well with scene veterans Pacco & Rudy B being first up. The Croatian duo and Mallam label bosses add a pure progressive feel to the track with a rolling groove and galloping percussion. It’s boundless energy quickly becomes infectious and the main elements get re-imagined for a stunning first act. Coming to full fruition during the main break, the strummy lead theme brings waves of emotion before a looping state of mind dominates a memorable drop.

Next up the Spanish trio Músculo make their debut here with a unique interpretation of ‘Ari’. Deep and purring from the outset it sits as a lovely complement to the previous two versions with a dreamier less distinct take on the lead elements across a tepid first act. A gorgeous break brings all the emotive response you could hope for before a low slung acidic finale adds further intrigue to an already creative version.

The release concludes with The Way label boss Oscar Vazquez delivering another stunning creation. The Spanish artist has found a home on Balkan Connection and Juicebox Music in recent years while also collaborating with Rick Pier O’Neil for a release on the French artists RPO imprint. Here he caps off the release in style with an impassioned rendition of 'Ari'. The soulful vibe of the original gets recreated and in many ways enhanced with a wobbly groove and heart-rending harmonics which bring the feel good factor up several notches. A gorgeous remix from Oscar which rounds out a stunning first release on his The Way imprint. Highly recommended.

Buy: https://bit.ly/2objfck

Release Date: 27-08-2018

Release Promo: http://releasepromo.com

► YouTube: bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautSubscribe
► Soundcloud: bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautSC
► Website: bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautWEB
► Facebook: bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautFB
► Twitter: bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautTW
► Instagram: bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautIG
► PA Booking Enquiries: management@progressiveastronaut.com