Declain – Tainted Love

• Techno-minded take on Soft Cell’s hit
• A retro atmosphere to match the theme
• Unexpected minimalism with fulfilling additives

Declain bounds himself to experimenting with his ideal sound, this time bringing a darker Techno sound together with his trademark funky twist. Let’s be honest, “Tainted Love” adapts for the recent underground trend, without letting go of some unique traits deserving a mention.

A known figure among our readers and a stable presence in Blasterjaxx’s imprint Maxximize Records, Declain has been featured several times on our blog for productions such as “Dance in ’84“, and “Eyes Shut“, “Disco Champ” and numerous other applaud worthy productions.

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Taking inspiration from the original from Soft Cell, which remains a classic staple for most new wave/synth-pop fans, this rendition proceeds for a long build-up, with a 90s lead and a decent re-performance of the original vocals. The climax rises without providing any hints as to what’s about to happen, and one could expect any genre ranging from Future House to Big Room to be introduced. It’s a solid sequence, emphasizing the vocal with a retro impression. Declain has mastered creating catchy atmospheres for the audience!

Here comes the surprise! A broody Techno low-end suddenly leaps in, breaking the preceding equilibrium with an anti-climactic segment. Like I said in my earlier views regarding Hardwell’s recent approach, I believe that this style doesn’t convince me entirely with these minimal schemas, so I wasn’t fully into the drop at first. Perhaps it lacked something in the first bar. Declain then extends the scope and takes care of that thought in the second part, adding vocals and snappy percussions to the party.

The interesting result indeed, as I leave further judgments to more Techno favoring enthusiasts… But I will say this: it’s impressive the amount of rhythm packed in the Dutch creator’s inventions, each one of them a striking deal!

You can listen to “Tainted Love” here:

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