Introduction:
Over the past few months, Niklas Harding has been on a roll. Butterfly Effect, Blue Circles and Pagoda have finally been released, and upcoming efforts Red Jewel, Shadows and Ice Beach are still to come. Not bad for your breakthrough year as a producer.
However, Niklas isn’t satisfied with just entertaining the masses with his productions. With his two monthly radio shows – WestBronx (on ETN.fm) and Nikki Haddi (on Digitally Imported), Niklas brings a unique blend of twisted electro-style house along with the more uplifting elements associated with his own productions.
So, onto his second offering for the month of October, which meant we were treated to a 1 hour mix within the confines of Nikki Haddi.
The Mix:
The set begins with what I would describe as one of the most outstanding tracks of 2005, and in a twisted thought of Irony, probably won’t be released until 2006. What track am I talking about? It has to be David West’s creation Pharmacy of Sound – Searching For Substance, a track that many have been chasing since it emerged in early March. It is one of those tracks you feel that is made for a set intro.
Searching For Substance brings a very chilled opening to the set, and that theme continues with Filo & Peri’s remix of Deepsky – Ghost. The vocals of Jes Brieden are difficult to escape since the track has been hammered by everyone, however it still has a nice appeal and fits well in the position of the set.
The mood however darkens with progressive-grooved Nova vs. Soldout – Maybe Tomorrow, yet another track that has been around for a long time but with an imminent release. I am a great admirer of this track, it has a magnetic-strength bassline and a vocal to match. Maybe Tomorrow sets the theme for the middle portion of the set, which continues with Tilt’s remix of Tiesto production Allure – The Loves We Lost. I’m not a fan of the original of this track at all, as it is littered with those techy sounds that have tarnished Tiesto’s productions over the past few years in my opinion. However, with Andy Moor on board as part of the Tilt crew, you know that quality is guaranteed, and this is most certainly the case here.
Moving on, and I get the opportunity to listen to Santiago Nino’s perspective on the latest product from fine producer Perry O’Neil for the first time. I believe Santiago has made a very plausible effort here, it’s not quite in your face as his recent productions, however it still has that distinct sound bound with some lovely melodies.
Niklas finally decides to lift up the emotions of the set to new heights, and couldn’t have picked a better track to have done so, in Noel Sanger’s remix of Seroya’s Beautiful. Due for a release in early 2006 on Coldharbour Recordings, Beautiful has the makings of a classic, with its hallowing female vocals, a driving rhythm guitar bassline and a supreme lead guitar breakdown, guaranteed to drive the listener into euphoria. This has been one of my favourite tracks for months.
Beautiful moves into a sweet transition with an outstanding remix of a track that didn’t do so well first time around when released In early 2004, but will most certainly grab the attention of everyone now. Mike Shiver and Ash F (better known as Envio) team up with vocalist Tiff Lacey to produce the track Arise, with Hammer & Funabashi on the remix. This track is nothing short of a monster. It had me hooked when Niklas played it for the first time in August, and for me, is Funabashi’s finest effort this year, even beating the fantastic Daylight.
To finish the set, Niklas fittingly gives one of his own tracks a spin, the sublime Red Jewel. Due for release as part of Markus Schulz’s 8th edition of Coldharbour Selections, Red Jewel is arguably Niklas’ finest production to date, with a spine-tingling melody guaranteed to bring a smile to the listener’s face. A perfect way to wrap up a fine 60 minutes of trance.
Final Thoughts:
My advice would be to keep your eyes out for both of Niklas’ radio shows. He is showing rather quickly how skilled he is as a DJ as well as producer. This set in particular is one of the finest I’ve heard in a while – track selection is perfect, mixing and transitions are very stable and fluent, and the atmosphere generated is one for all to enjoy very much. A must listen to.
Tracklist:
01. Pharmacy of Sound - Searching For Substance
02. Deepsky Featuring Jes Brieden - Ghost (Filo & Peri Remix)
03. Soldout vs. Nova - Maybe Tomorrow (Nova Remix)
04. Allure - The Loves We Lost (Tilt Remix)
05. Perry O'Neil - Numb (Santiago Nino Dub Tech Mix)
06. Seroya - Beautiful (Noel Sanger Remix)
07. Mike Shiver & Ash F Present A.M. - Arise (Hammer & Funabashi Remix)
08. Niklas Harding Presents Arcane - Red Jewel
You can hear Niklas Harding twice every month, with the following shows:
WestBronx – Every 1st Thursday of the month on ETN.fm Trance Stream
at 4pm Eastern / 9pm UK / 10pm Central European Time
Nikki Haddi – Every 3rd Saturday of the month on Digitally Imported Radio’s Trance Channel
at 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK / 7pm Central European Time
Useful Links:
www.niklasharding.com
www.etn.fm
www.di.fm
Reviewed By : ImpactPlayaz
i dont have webspace to keep all the episodes online.
