Micah, Gai Barone, and Echomen collaborate for the first time to showcase their Ecstasy EP

A new collaborative trio to grace the Balance Music roster, Micah, Gai Barone, and Echomen are highly regarded artists in their own right, have joined forces for the first time to showcase their ‘Ecstasy‘ EP.

A storied artist with a collection of high-profile releases to his name, Micah quickly rose to prominence on the back of his innovative and flowing DJ sets for the Hybridized site in the mid 2000s alongside Hybrid and Way Out West. Going on to showcase a clutch of impressive releases for Global Underground, Perspectives Digital, and Nick Warren’s The Soundgarden, the Canadian star has also used his Ruhnsong imprint as a vehicle for his production work.

Micah

Gai Barone is an artist requiring little in the way of introductions. A favourite of the DJ glitterati from Apparat, and Above & Beyond, to Henry Saiz, and Hernan Cattaneo, the Italian has consistently found himself at the summit of the underground dance scene with galaxy of star releases for some of the industry’s leading imprints since he hit early heights in 2009 with ‘Lilith‘ on Afterglow. Some 650 production credits later and Gai Barone remains one of the progressive fraternity’s leading figures with music for Renaissance, Lost & Found, and Black Hole Recordings. A trio of credits for Balance Music found Gai Barone & Micah provide a moment of progressive house magic with the ‘Prisma‘ EP in late 2021.

Chris Scott aka Echomen (and Lexicon Avenue) is another artist with a notable musical history dating back to 2001 and his ‘Thru 2 You‘ EP, which included a remix from the legendary figure of Bushwacka! going on to release on the leviathan Hooj Choons in 2002, Joel Armstrong’s Dot Com Recordings in 2006 and the highly regarded, Mesmeric between 2012 and 2014, Echomen’s portfolio reads like a ‘who’s who’ of releases for the finest modern underground labels.

Joining Micah & Gai Barone for his first commercial release in over 7 years, Echomen’s talent is still clearly evident.

Coming in three differing shapes and potency, ‘Ecstasy‘ opens with a shimmering ‘Intro Mix‘ that brings spine-tingling melodic elements to the fore in the opening phases before a deep kick provides a metronomic anchor. Replete with textured pads that gently pulsate as they pan the stereo spectrum, atmospheric washes create a euphoric sonic landscape that hypnotises through its repetitive and gently evolving phrasing.

The ‘Main Mix‘ follows the same melodic structures as its counterpart, but the introduction of a sublime bassline groove adds a club-friendly structure to proceedings as does top-line urgency in the shape of off-beat hats and toms.

‘Micah’s Floor-Head Remix‘ creates a thumping club stormer full of rhythmic prowess and brio as an immaculately conceived percussive groove provides the perfect foundation for melodic elements to shine. Building easily over its near 9-minute duration, familiar motifs and bassline groove make their presence felt. Pausing for breath at an extended, stripped-back breakdown, the build and drop back into the complex rhythmic backdrop is tribute to an artist whose skill, technique and craftsmanship have always been front and centre in his production work.