Jamie Woon - Night Air

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  • London singer Jamie Woon has one of those voices that smolders with dignified intensity. On the spectral nightbus soul of "Night Air," it acts as a probing torchlight, casting light on darkened corners. The backing track for "Night Air" is admittedly simple, because that's all it has to be: the focus is rightly on Woon's voice, coiling into a gorgeous falsetto on the chorus and ringing out in the track's empty, pitch-black halls. Here's the open secret: it's a Burial production, though a bit beguiling if it's supposed to act as a clue for the development of his sound. Rousing basslines excepted, the song carries very little of his sonic signature. The percussion is squeaky clean, and the choral wails in the distance are one or two layers of polish away from the usual Burial. Ramadanman takes advantage the slow tempo of "Night Air," giving it a UK house makeover. Isolating one of the synth lines and letting loose a marching progression of snares, in true David Kennedy style the refix is all about percussion. Forget Woon's voice; these snares are haunted, and their monotonous tick-tick easily overwhelms the vocal. The remix is yet another upturn of Ramadanman's established work, making the most of extreme restraint; there's no drop, only a smooth ascent that plateaus in gentle relief. When the hi-hats come in and give the song an ounce of force, it turns into the unstoppable monster you've been hoping for all along, but it's still basically just snares and hats. Moving farther and farther away from dubstep, Ramadanman has tapped into the very essence of house music, and managed to do it without a kick drum.
  • Tracklist
      A Night Air AA Night Air (Ramadanman Refix)
RA