Resident Advisor 2nd review of 'The Difference It Makes'

From Resident Advisor 29th January 2004

As expected, James Holden’s Border Community label has come out with 2 great releases so far, and if you expect things to die down after the honeymoon period of the label, then you might be quite surprised. The MFA is up next with The Difference It Makes, a track which definitely made a difference opening up James Holden’s Balance Mix. Apart from the Original and the MFA Fungle mix, the release also comes with a remix from in form Swedish young man, Petter.

The Original Mix gets the ball rolling with its beautiful and smooth baseline opening the track as well as some melodic filtered effects and rattling hi hats. Smooth atmospheric elements make themselves heard leading into the breakdown where the quirky vocal line enters. The track maintains a smooth flow throughout and is somewhat a smooth and deep, yet epic production.

The MFA’s Fungle Mix follows on the a-side and it showcases the diverse nature of the MFA, turning the production into a devastating drum and bass track. The baseline is somewhat evil, while the vocal line gets a remaking, as does the quirky melodic structures of the original mix. Interesting to say the least, and a healthy addition to this release!

On the flip is Petter’s Different Version, and the title doesn’t lie as this is quite a unique production by Petter. It is a quality journey into tech house bleeps and twisted effects, as well as delicate melodies in the breakdown particularly. However, midway through, the track intensifies with an acid baseline and an increase in the drums, while the synths also subtly rage in the breakdown. 

Another fantastic release from Border Community with three totally different tracks in this release creating amazing diversity on one slab of vinyl. Not only are they diverse, but more importantly, they all are very good in their own way.

Robert Youhan

Originally published here