(Beatservice Records/Creative Vibes)

Side A: Time (Ernesto Emotional Memory remix) (9.06)
Side B: Time (Snorre Seim remix) (6.18)

Norwegian downtempo electronic duo Fenomenon’s debut album ‘Hourglass’ (also released this month through Beatservice) showcased their smooth fusion of broken beats with synthy eighties references, even including a cover of Tears For Fears’ ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ amongst its tracklisting. This latest 12” from Fenomenon is the second track to be lifted from ‘Hourglass’ and follows the release of ‘Lucy Said’ through Hi Fi Terapi in late 2003.

On the A-side of this 12”, Gothenburg-based producer and vocalist Ernesto (known for his work with the likes of Swell Session, Beanfield and Plej) reworks album track ‘Time’ into a storming nine-minute track that flirts between jazzy broken beats and dubstep-tinged garage bass drops, Kjetil Ingebretsen’s smooth vocals phased and delayed out over the shuffling beats. Right in the middle, the vocal drops out completely, being replaced with huge flanging funky bass tones that you might expect to hear from the likes of Bugz In The Attic or perhaps even Roll Deep Crew, while soul harmonies float in the background. Right at the end, there’s even space for some gorgeous melancholy voice-and piano soul. Delicious – and highly recommended.

On the flip, fellow Norwegian producer Snorre Seim (known for his productions / remixes under the Butti 49 moniker), stays on the broken beat tip for his remix of ‘Time’ as well, opening with hard chunky jazzy breakbeats around a funk-infused bassline before colourful synth stabs dart around a groove that retains pretty much all of the original vocal. While it gets into some great clashing sampled drum hits and scratching around its halfway mark, it doesn’t really quite go off as much of a bomb as Ernesto’s mix on the A-side, which is definitely the pick of the two remixes on offer here.

A quality 12” release with two strong remixes – fans of jazzy broken beats along the lines of Beanfield, Rainer Truby Trio and Bugz In The Attic won’t be disappointed.

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