Mathew Jonson - Dayz

Mathew Jonson
Dayz
Crosstown Rebels

In this reviewer’s opinion, Crosstown Rebels have their moments of brilliance, but they also have just as many moments of “er…okay then”. This is one of the former, for sure. Mathew Jonson provides us with two very different cuts on this EP, demonstrating his versatility, and allowing dBridge to turn one of the tunes upside down like only he knows how.

Dayz is a slow-building, melodic tech house ride that is perfect for shifting the night up a gear. Things start sparse and quirky with  some very minimal percussion and a bouncy synth line that jumps up and down several notes each bar. The track slowly gets filled out with some light hats and shakers, but more importantly, additional melodic elements in the form of filtered keys and wistful, emotional pads and strings. Building on this simple foundation as it progresses, Dayz morphs from a clicky, unassuming minimal track into a beautiful melodic tech house soundscape.

Cold Blooded is more aggressive and twisted. Relying primarily on a big, resonated bassline and electro-esque stabs to do its damage on the dancefloor, it really doesn’t need much else. However, the addition of creepy synths, robotic effects and lots of clever edits to the bassline certainly don’t do any harm. dBridge’s remix is a wicked slice of half-time d&b, a sound that he has been at the forefront of for quite some time now. The bassline is completely overhauled into a menacing growl which accompanies the spaced out kicks and snares, and the freaky synths and effects from the original are heavily time stretched, making them sound even more bizarre.

Crosstown Rebels is a label that prides itself on releasing innovative, different music, and in this instance, they’ve lived up to that promise. More like this please.

Tracklisting: Mathew Jonson Dayz
1. Dayz
2. Cold Blooded
3. Cold Blooded  (dBridge Rmx)

Listen to Mathew Jonson on Pulse Radio