Do I Believe
I don’t get excited about much these days. Life is a little too complicated for all of that. So forgive me as I ‘bust-a-move’ to Andy Duguid’s artistic debut Believe, which is in a word, incredible. And you had better be incredible when the street is talking about you like you are the next Tiesto.
I had this in mind when I started my review. I was sitting alone in my studio at the radio station, door closed, chair kicked back, and my big ass studio monitors set to max as the opening to Believe started to rumble. Probably one of the hardest things to do in radio is accomplish a ‘setup.' A good setup tells you where you’re at (where you’ve been, if needed) and where your going, and it does all of this in the shortest amount of time possible.
A Believe-able Introduction
The setup to Believe is a track called (simply enough) "Inspiration of a Belief". In a little over 90 seconds you are sucked in, ears glued to the speakers, and for the next hour or so, you won’t want to be anywhere else. Andy Duguid is most assuredly not Tiesto, but it doesn’t matter.
Duguid’s career took off in 2006 after his track "Hypocrisy" was picked up by a host of world renowned DJ. From Aberdeen Scotland, heavy support of Duguid’s "Hypocrisy" by Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, and Tiesto landed the single at number 5 on the Dutch Dance Charts.
"Don’t Belong," Duguid’s second single, followed virtually the same path as "Hypocrisy" and was also included on Tiesto’s In Search of Sunrise 6. "Wasted" (which is included on Believe) was featured on Tiesto’s 2008 In Search of Sunrise 7 mix compilation.
As a result of his epic production work, and mainstream success, Andy Duguid has become a frequent remix contributor. The fruit of those relationships can be seen on Believe. Mr. Sam checks in on "Hold My Breath" in legendary fashion, his haunting vocals adding just the right amount of tension to the beginning of what turns into a straight-up floor filler, a superb deep vocal trance track with enough life to keep it interesting.
My Favorite Song to Believe In
My favorite track on the record is "My Number." This track sounds like Armand van Helden was all up in the mix, pretty amazing since van Helden is basically a pioneer of the genre. It features vocals by Donna & Anthony, and is a flashback track with an 80s feel that is sure to please any crowd.
In addition to Mr. Sam and Donna & Anthony, Duguid also hooks up with Julie Thompson, Leah, Esmaye, Solarstone, and I-Fan, who can be heard on Funkerman’s global hit Speed Up.
Andy Duguid is One to Watch
Andy Duguid should definitely be on your watch list, an amazing exponent of an ever-changing electronic musical landscape. To quote Andy Duguid: “To live a dream is a dream come true, for those who don’t dream don’t live.” The record is amazing and well worth a listen. Let it be said that Andy is living his dream to the fullest.
Released January 2008 on Ultra Records.
