In the five years that the ‘Djebali Presents’ series has been running, the music world has seen the likes of Mr. KS, Reda Dare and Swoy grace the series with their productions, which have blessed parties across the world. For the 8th edition of Djebali’s sub-label, Dutch artist Chris Stussy steps up with three top-notch tracks and a remix from Kokaz.
Chris is no rookie in the world of music production, having released music on EWax, Robsoul and of course PIV, where Chris deals with the A&R alongside label owner Prunk. Through the years, Stussy has always kept his tracks groovy and full of life, keeping bodies swaying on the dancefloor. You can hear elements of jazz and disco in many of his productions, accompanied by funky basslines and warm pads.
The opening track entitled ‘Incognito Tip’ is full of the pads and synths that we know Stussy well for, deep sounds and stabs that swirl and pan through the track. The low end of the track is made up of a chugging bassline that brings some real bounce to the production and works alongside the punchy kick to fill out the lower frequencies. A combination of open and closed hats work the percussion back and forth, alongside the shakes, snares, ride cymbals and vocal bursts that build the track to its main breakdown. One for the open airs.
Kokaz featured earlier on this year on Djebali Presents and has taken remix reins for this release. His remix of the opening track sounds a little more loungey in some ways, with slightly broken drum patterns in comparison to the original. The main chord in the original has been edited so that it murmurs slightly through manipulation of an LFO filter, as well as various other sounds being re-dubbed and delayed. The percussive side of the track is more focused in this version of the track, which works well with the warped chords that sound slightly eerie in places. Kokaz has certainly executed this remix well!
‘Endless’ has that Stussy super-groove! After the initial intro, a pattern of 303 like bass notes is introduced to the track, followed by open hats that add to the fullness of the track. There is a pad atmosphere that lays at the bottom of the mix, which helps bring the other elements together and set a tone for the track, this is noticeable particularly on breakdowns. Some stabby piano chords journey through the track, picking up delay and reverb in certain parts of the track for added effect and evolution. Just over 3 minutes in we are taken into the main breakdown that is boosted with the use of snappy snares that drift into the main body of the track.
Closing the EP is ‘Charisma’, a word used to describe ‘a divinely conferred power or talent’, something that this release is full of! This track has a great feeling of depth, combining a combination of synths with slightly darker undertones to them in comparison to those used in the tracks prior. The intelligence of the drums in this track really caught our ears, occasional double kicks, off-beat snare hits and hats, toms that fill in certain places and help the track to progress, as well as clave shots that bring a slightly tropical feel to the track. The change of sound in the synths on the down parts of the tracks along with the addition of a ride cymbal is sure to sound special on any sound system!
Chris will be on remix duties for the next Djebali Presents release, this time from John N Travis! Pre-orders HERE.
Othe upcoming works from Stussy include his Boogie Trppin EP on Robsoul, which will be available from June 8th, consisting of 4 original tracks. Following this, the end of the summer will see Chris release on PIV Limited for the second release, featuring Alix Alvarez and Djebali!
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