(Soma/Stomp)

SOMA167
Side A: Feeling Blue (12” mix) 7.22
Side B1: Feeling Blue (Spirals Dub mix) 5.52
Side B2: Feeling Blue (Spirals Acid Rock Dub) 7.12

SOMA167R
Side A: Feeling Blue (Silver City remix) 7.00
Side B: Feeling Blue (Soul Mekanik remix) 7.12

This next single to be released from Silicone Soul’s forthcoming second album ‘Staring Into Space’ follows relatively closely on the heels of last year’s ‘Les Nocturnes’ 12” and shows the UK duo leaning their trademark smooth disco-house sound in a soul-infused direction, courtesy of the talents of vocalist Louise Marshall (who also sang on their hit single ‘Right On!’). Split over two simultaneously-released 12”s, Silicone Soul have enlisted the skills of South American duo Silver City, who as well as producing tracks for Ralph Lawson’s 2020 Vision label have been recording for Silicone Soul’s own Darkroom Dubs label as The Spirals, alongside Soul Mekanik, to provide the remix action in this case.

On the first of these two 12”s, the Original 12” mix of ‘Feeling Blue’ opens with stark, punching tech-house beats before gliding into smooth disco-infused rhythms, Louise Marshall’s “every once in a while I get to feeling blue” vocal phrase curving off a streamlined throbbing discofunk bassline and shimmering synths, some delayed out Edge-esque fretboard runs courtesy of guitarist ‘Chippy’ adding a welcome moody edge to the flamboyant synth-string flourishes and pumping beats. While it’s certainly a capable slice of soul-infused disco-house, I felt that the looped vocal became slightly repetitious and grating over its full seven and a half minutes, a factor not helped by its slightly lifeless, anodyne nature – thankfully, the remixes on offer here compensate nicely for this. Under their Spirals guise, 2020 Vision producers Julian Sanza and Fernando Pulichino supply not just one, but two reworkings on this first 12”s B-side, their ‘Spirals Dub mix’ stripping down the rhythmic backing to more lithe percussive tech-house beats and dropping the vocal completely, whilst also injecting some punk-funk flavour courtesy of a fluid live bassline and choppy jangled guitar chords that call to mind The Rapture, whilst all manner of acid 303 squiggles and New Order-esque washing synths drift by in the background.

To be perfectly fair though, the two other reworkings supplied here by Sanza and Pulichino (one under their Silver City name) don’t really alter proceedings too much from this initial remix template, their ‘Spirals Acid Rock Dub’ adding slightly more edge to the percussive slam of the tech-house snares through the judicious use of delayed-out handclaps, whilst also bringing the brooding guitar chords more to the foreground, while their ‘Silver City remix’ sticks a bit closer to the original, retaining the full-vocal whilst also throwing in some chaotically-bleeping retro electronics alongside the dramatic synth-string crashes. For my money though, it’s the Soul Mekanik remix located on the B-side of the second 12” that represents the most thrilling moment here, tossing a slightly broken boompty-boomp DJ Sneak-esque house beat and bleeping synth tones through the mix whilst also cutting up and stuttering Louise Marshall’s vocal over the juddering bass and beats – there’s also some fantastic crashing percussion bursts that add to the tense sense of jacking drama herein – an absolute house stormer, and definitely by favourite by far of the tracks on offer here.

A solid pair of 12”s from Silicone Soul that’s sure to appeal to fans of the UK duo’s soul-infused disco-house sound; for my money though, it’s the remixes on offer here that take the track to a higher level, the Soul Mekanik mix being something to look out for indeed. Recommended.

Check out http://www.somarecords.com.