Originally released as a stamped white-label back in June 2021, Rush Hour now bring a full release of the double-header from Soichi Terada and Masalo, Diving Into Minds / Double Spire on the label. Terada, a Tokyo electronic music icon known for composing video games soundtracks and founding his label Far East Recordings, and Masala, a moving force of the flourishing Amsterdam scene, therefore turn the before mentioned tracks into a club(bier) form.
Diving Into Minds is one of those tracks which, if heard it out for the first time, one would be forgiven for thinking “is this old or new?”, the drums, pads and bassline all falling into a solid club style that echoes the mid-90s, but has a very modern sheen. The key stabs are what really give this its retro feel though, not sounding too disimilar to the kind of stabs you’d find on an early 90s David Morales remix.
Flip over and one finds Double Spire, an unashamedly melodic electronic workout, completely different from Diving Into Minds, this time with the focus on a more Motor City-inspired sound. Upbeat synths carry the track along, the pads giving a real shining warmth overall, the punchy bass adding to the positive energy flowing through the track. Definitely one to bring smiles to faces of the amassed groovers.
Terada and Masalo’s Rush Hour-outing surely is one to be remembered as a fusion of timeless elements, which are added a contemporary historical note, with a modern almost futuristic twist.
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