Buy link: lnk.to/yellowshadows
A returning artist to the Grey Bar Hotel catalogue, Garance has been a growing force from her Geneva home. Now providing a debut original track, “Yellow Shadows” featuring Bunn also sees a pair of remixes from Chris Zippel and Vanita.
Growing up during the “golden age of squats” in Geneva’s littoral south-eastern tip, Garance’s experiences of the city’s nightlife combined with her own musical training has seen her create a unique sonic universe. Alloying a unique blend of melodic and progressive house, Garance quickly found her distinctive music signed to a plethora of high-profile imprints that include Einmusika, Beatfreak Recordings, Tulipa Recordings, and February 2022’s 3-track “Extatique” on Balance Music in collaboration with the iconic Jamie Stevens. Returning to Grey Bar Hotel after a stellar remix of Think City in early 2022, “Yellow Shadows” is a glorious offering that revels in analog majesty as swirling synth motifs and trilling arpeggio sit atop a chest-thumping kick and urgent hi-hat percussion. Couched within a hypnotic melodic techno framework, Bunn’s vocal contributions add a silky-smooth sheen to proceedings as they coruscate across the stripped-back breakdown. Picking up the pace once more in the final stages, rhythmic urgency and subtle melodic phrasing create a hugely impressive track.
No stranger to the underground dance scene with his recent work with Ghenwa Nemnom on Pillbox and atmospheric “Ombra / Noosphere” on GMJ & Matter’s Meanwhile Horizons, Chris Zippel’s rise to the upper echelons of electronic music has been clear to see. Additional work for Stripped Recordings, Mango Alley, and Ubersee Music has cemented a reputation that has seen the Berlin-born artist work with such renowned figures as Robbie Williams, Norah Jones, and the Pet Shop Boys. Making his Grey Bar Hotel debut, the Chris Zippel remix is a deep, pulsating affair that adds groove aplenty to “Yellow Shadows”. A shuffling percussive cadence provides dancefloor credentials while a syncopated synth motif creates a deliciously swung cadence. Echoes from Garance’s original permeate throughout the 8-minute reworking with a stunning breakdown providing the perfect vehicle to explore the stripped-back harmonies. The third movement then explodes into a life where club-friendly groove and dynamic rhythms come to the fore once more in a devastating new remix.
The final remix sees another Swiss star make her Grey Bar Hotel debut. From the clear mountain air that surrounds Zurich, Vanessa Spolidoro has carved quite a niche for herself via her Vanita production name. Evident throughout a trademark sound, Vanita’s love for house and techno infiltrates her dark brooding remix of “Yellow Shadows”. Able to point to releases on such esteemed imprints as Click Records, KATERMUKKE, Timeless Moment, and Desert Hearts Black, her powerful sound transforms Garance’s track into a storming, floor-filling monster. A stereo-panned running bassline creates dizzying tension, while her interpretation waxes and wanes with ease as a driving beat falls away to reveal a fizzing analog lead and Bunn’s airy vocal phrases. Making elegant use of themes from Garance’s original, new production material by way of a powerful new bassline and rousing crescendo finds Vanita’s remix hitting its stride once more in the final stages in a sure-fire club hit.
Garance shines brightly alongside Chris Zippel and Vanita in the “Yellow Shadows”.
Release date: October 14th, 2022.