Hailing from Chicago, Russ Harris developed his craft in the mobile DJ game, running one of The Windy City's largest DJ companies. Training in the mobile party trenches obviously taught Harris a thing or two about how to make a pop hit with wide commercial appeal, and he went on produce several underground successes, including his own mix of Pink Floyd's ubiquitous "Another Brick in the Wall" years before Eric Prydz released "Proper Education."
Fast forward to today and DJ Russ Harris' debut album "Ear Therapy" on EsNtion Silver. After a very successful lead single, "Drums in the Club" (go bam, bam, bam… oops, sorry- that hook gets stuck in your head) caught DJs' attention from coast to coast, "Unsealed" is the third single from the album and features vocals from Jiga. "Unsealed" doesn't mess with the formula of pop success that leads to packed dance floors, so it goes without saying that this is a female-friendly record with a great hook.
Russ Harris' original mix is complemented by familiar faces from past Harris projects including DJ Flipside and Chicago favorite DJ Inphinity, plus mixes by Bill Basil, Tony Arazadon and the cleverly titled "Harris vs. Harris" Mix from the prolific Josh Harris. All the mixes run the gamut of production from the straight-up commercial pop sound of the original mix to the darker, thicker Inphinity Mix which removes Harris' rap. Bill Basil brings a minimal vibe to the song with less emphasis on the drums, and Josh Harris has his usual polished, commercial sound with lots of synths and a big production.
My preference here, believe it or not, is the original mix. It's simple, fun, well-produced, and gets the job done very well, thank you. A perfect fit for mainstream audiences. Make no mistake though, with six unique mixes to choose from, some deep tribal drums, Jiga's seductive female vocal and even Russ Harris himself spitting a verse or two, "Unsealed" pops the top on a club banger.
