- He's lovable and he's an outstanding selector, but Jus-Ed's production can sometimes suffer from a lack of invention. By now, you can hear those mellow, ringing cymbals and modulated keys from a mile away. "No More Pain" is an even moodier affair than we're used to from the Connecticut-based DJ/producer. Finger snapping bass is perpetuated by flattened out key stabs. The vocal, provided by June April, meanwhile, struggles to come to terms with the occasion. A poor arrangement and banal lyrics add to the sense of frustration.
It's the same issue that some had with his Next Level full-length, which seemed to promise in its title a decisive turn in production quality. "No More Pain," though, is a producer trying to manipulate an oft revisited '90s sound, but struggling to construct a track that is challenging enough to be considered a break from his roots.
Anton Zap, however, continues to steadily increase his stock with an extremely well-balanced construction that aims its focus directly to the floor. The Muscovite immediately jumps in, relaying those snares and cymbals with fierce precision while adding a crunching kick drum and playful handclaps. Zap has produced some of the most accomplished EP's on Underground Quality to date, and his own Ethereal Sound imprint has had a promising start. His remix of "Pain" rearranges the best qualities of the track with a real distinctiveness; the keys he uses resemble a much more atmospheric, dub influence in contrast to Jus-Ed's all-out house-funk take while three, simple 707 cowbell taps provide a frame for other elements to move into the forefront.
Tracklist A No More Pain feat. June April
B Pain (Love & Distance Mix by Anton Zap)