Promising new indie-trap artist ION has shown that remixes don’t always have to be repetitive and overworked. The original track ‘1 of 1’ was released as part of ‘The Blizzard Awaits’ EP and has now been revitalised in the release ‘1 of 1 - extended house mix’ carrying forward the initial ethereal synths and twinkling melodies into a more deep house perspective of sound.
In the beginning of the track, glimmering sounds almost resembling the initial introductory melody of Me And Your Mama (Childish Gambino, 2016), it immediately sets the tone as curious and calming despite moving on to a more up tempo and electric sound. Whilst the original is over-worldly in terms of harmonies, this remix feels like a dream sequence of sorts or that you’re a character in a fantasy cartoon series for children (like Steven Universe or Adventure Time) but in the best way possible.
About a quarter of the way in, the beat builds up slowly for a track of its nature, but noticeably in a sense that it isn’t abrasive or too intense, allowing the music itself to just gradually build up and do what it does best. The track’s composition is delicate and lends itself well to the fine balance between both being completely calm and edging steadily to something heavier like fidget house or chillstep, whilst keeping aligned with elements of deep house and psybient genres.
Overall, ION’s ability to turn a track that can already stand on its own two feet in the sea of calm upbeat ambient house tracks and evolve it into an even more soothing dreamscape of the same melodies. It’s a similar stance to that of big blockbuster movies - sometimes the sequel can actually be better or more complex (in the best way possible) than the original, which is exactly what ‘1 of 1 - extended house mix’ has shown itself to be. ION is definitely a name to keep an eye on, showing plenty of potential for a really interesting expressive discography moving into the future.
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