Craig McWhinney - Grandview Grove

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  • Craig McWhinney's sophomore effort on his own Melbourne-based Haul Music imprint, "Grandview Grove," comes with high expectations. A string of successful singles followed Haul's 2008 debut bow, including McWhinney's own Deep in the Hurt Locker, garnering praise from the likes of Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig. "Grandview Grove" is an upbeat, tech house affair. Stuttering synth stabs partner a drifting kick drum throughout the track's duration, only separating for 30-odd seconds for a deep house breakdown in the track's middle. Additionally, a subtle Eastern string and wind section pops up sporadically—which isn't as conflicting as you'd think, considering the nature of the synth work—resulting in a dreamy 5:00 AM vibe for much of its eight minutes. Undoubtedly, "Grandview Grove" is a far cry from McWhinney's prior Haul material and a pleasant complement to his brand of peak-time techno. On the flipside, McWhinney's fellow label managers, Christian Vance and Mike Callander, provide remixes. Both interpretations eliminate the luminous tone of "Grandview Grove," albeit with exceptionally different approaches. Christian Vance's rework, coming in at just under ten minutes, strips away the prominent synth styling of the original, and eventually ends up in organic, tribal territory. The original's prominent bassline is reduced to a short hiccup, and subsequently used to great affect from the post-four minute mark, while hazy, blinking vocals complete the picture. Mike Callander's aptly titled "Dead End Remix" completely overwrites the original with a minimal, dark—almost dub techno—vibe. McWhinney's synth stabs are replaced with droning bass pulses, overlaid with an intermittent and confrontational snare. In all, perhaps the most refreshing aspect of this release is the affirmation that, now six releases in, each of the Haul Music trio are still sculpting remarkably distinct and separate blends of techno.
  • Tracklist
      01. Grandview Grove 02. Grandview Grove (Christian Vance's Walk Home Mix) 03. Grandview Grove (Mike Callender's Dead End Remix)
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