NICO PARISI – CARESS (BONZAI PROGRESSIVE)

Back from his last release on BP with “Reborn” alongside Manu Riga, Nico Parisi delivers “Caress” which comes with no less than five fantastic remixes. Nico has been very busy lately with his own productions and a stack of remixes, he also has a hectic DJ schedule with many gigs across Belgium. Recently he featured in the launch of a new concept night “INSANE” which is a product of DJunkee and Bonzai progressive. He will also feature at this year’s Bonzai Retro event in November with the crème de la crème of Belgian DJ’s.

The Original mix is a strong, solid slice of progressive house vibes. Snappy kicks and a subtle melodic sequence provide the intro with rising pads soon coming through. Percussions slowly build and form into a cool flowing rhythm while an early and intense build up leads us into a full on prog monster. Offbeat bass drives the track forward with excellent synth work keeping the intense nature on point. Wonderful stuff from Nico and a must have in any box.

First up on remix is Inkfish who are four Swedes. Mattias Lindblom, Jesper Lindqvist and brothers Andreas and Johan Hermansson. These guys run their own label, Inkfish Recordings with Mattias or Andreas taking care of the production side of things. Johan and Andreas do all the DJ work while Jesper is a self-styled Bez from Happy Mondays character. Together these guys have a very impressive list of releases across many top labels and now we see their first appearance on Bonzai Progressive. The remix intros with some cool FX, synths and pads before a nice chunky kick takes over. The bass delivers a deep grooving flow while rising pads add beautiful textures with subtle melodic hints. Solid track with a big punch!

The very popular Manu Riga is up next with his Sofia By Night Remix. After their last and very successful outing on “Reborn” it’s no wonder these guys are working together again, they click well in the studio and no doubt we will see a lot more from them in the future. The remix goes into full on mode with a massive snappy kick with a sharp click on top which really sets the scene up well for a trip down progressive lane. Some great FX and synth work give off subtle melodies with a very teasing vox lying in wait in the background. Superb bassline works wonders throughout the track and makes this a track you will never want to end.

Philthy Chit deliver a stunningly epic progressive house experience with their remix. The intro slowly builds with simple percussions and a hypnotic synth note before blazing into a driving deep bass led groove. Intensity rises with wonderful pads and an amazing vocal sample. The magic happens on the break with deep resonating synths and melodic sequences before getting back into a full blown prog monster. A sure fire hit and a definite must have for those progressive sets.

Next up on the remix is Eric Hubo whom Nico has worked with in the past. Belgium based Eric has featured on tracks from Nico’s Danza Records including “Metro”, “S.A.X.X.” and “Move Your Body” as well as works on LCD Recordings on “Romeo and Juliet”. His remixes have also appeared on “A State Of Trance Classics Vol. 7” back in 2012. The remix sets off with a smooth kick and offset bass which is the perfect foundation for a progressive house journey. Cool FX and well crafted percussion provide a steady rhythm before the track settles in for the duration as the bassline shines through. Sweet melodic pianos are the focus on the break as sweeping phased synth pads shore up the background. The track kicks back into the steady groove and a beautiful prog house record in born, superb stuff.

Yuriy From Russia is our next guest with his Dark Remix. Yuriy has been churning out top quality productions in recent times most notably with his latest offering “Do You Feel” featuring the vocal talents of Ange. Chunky kicks and sharp hats get us moving on the intro with a warpy, thick bass soon following. Sweeping synths begin to come through and they provide stark contrasts with the bass which makes for a cool dynamic. Blippy FX work adds texture to the sound and all the while the groove has built into full on progressive mode. The break brings forth those sweeping pads and builds back into the main groove with a wall of noise. Very intense and very epic piece of work which no doubt get attention from all quarters.