Kelvin River – Need You Back
Kelvin River – Need You Back
79%Overall Score
• Outstanding lead, slightly Zonderling-inspired
• An effective mix between Deep House and several subgenres
• Dynamic attitude with a pinch of elegance
Hailing from the Netherlands, we have a new face amidst Laidback Luke’s esteemed sublabel, Mixmash Deep. I must admit that both Mixmash’s components have got a solid record on their repertoire, with several quality releases last year and increased importance in the EDM panorama, after being on a hiatus with underrated results. The “Deep” offshoot of LL’s brainchild, in particular, is promoting interesting individuals like Relicah (see “Shadows“) or Toxic Joy (see “All Lies“). Honestly, I usually divulge mostly to the main label owing to the fact that it offers more Electro House-oriented releases, but Kelvin River impressed me, since here we are, reviewing “Need You Back“!
What a beautiful tune indeed, where the pleasant ambiance, which came to fruition thanks to Kelvin’s involvement with Future House in the recent past, blends with a Tech-y bassline while retaining a ‘Deep’ and warmer vibe. Almost opulent, I would say, mostly from its relaxing yet audacious attitude. The lead is slightly reminiscent of Zonderling, with a pizzicato effect that works effectively with the funky vocal loop employed. Speaking about the latter, I was hoping for a different vocal, as this component quickly suffered from repetitiveness, although luckily I chose to focus on the intricacies of the bassline underneath, especially in the breakdown where the rhythm’s unpredictable.
The final drop, in particular, fascinates me. Together with a wobbling bassline and signs of clear Future House influences, the lead does its job as well. The result hence keeps a Deep House facade throughout.
While I am no expert in the genre, as an external critic, I can say that Kelvin River did a fantastic job, and good for Mixmash to catch it immediately! It’s his first release of this kind, and yet we can see that something’s changing… We will see.
You can listen to “Need You Back” here:
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