I savvy myself as knowing what's happening in the world of dance music today. Lots of records and CDs come into my office, and I try to up on keep all of them. But when this first disc from the new Bedrock Original Series landed on my desk, my first reaction was "who is Desyn Masiello?"
After doing about five minutes of research I felt like a real dunce. Desyn Masiello is all over the progressive house scene. He is the boss of Alternative Route records and has played all over the world including a feature on both KISS 100 with John Digweed and the Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1 with Pete Tong, all within a two week period! He has been a creative force in house music for over a decade and now Bedrock would like to take this opportunity to showcase his mixing ability.
Desyn cranks it up with his first track by Future Beat Alliance called "Fake Love." The gentle percussion is compounded with some traveling synth riffs and a funky bassline to create a delicate balance between progressive and downtempo. Desyn seamlessly mixes the first track into some "Monodrama." This track by Kinky Funk has some electro-styled bass in it along with a cut-up vocal that accents the sounds of woodwinds and spacey synth loops. It takes the listener on a voyage between typical progressive and Deysn Masiello-influenced progressive. After another beautiful mix he lets loose the Rowan Blades & John Graham song "Phonky Somma." The enchanting vocals are laid over a broken beat drum pattern and some horns until the song enters into a smooth and sexy breakdown. Further into this mix compilation comes Lady B. and the story of "Cruising Around the Motor City." The electro roots of this track run very deep. The singing synth leads are combined with some handclaps and a driving bass line. Prawler steps up with the original mix of the song "Frisco." This track has a freshness that has long since been lost in the progressive realm.
The percussion is reminiscent of a deep house track with gritty synth loops and funky bass riffs and sirens.
After a short section of "Frisco" he selects a "Joyous Loop" as his next track. Community Spirit is the maestro behind this exciting song. After the breakdown this song delivers a hard pounding bass line wrapped around some funky horns and an eerie synth loop. Desyn next steps into the Jamie Anderson track "The Time is Now." The vocals are almost incomprehensible, but that just adds to the mystery of the track. It is a perfect setup for the crowning moment in this mix by Stylophonic. His track "All Night Long" stays true to form with dark and sawing synth action along with robotic vocals. This song truly sums the feeling he was trying to capture with this mix. Fresh, funky and progressive. He slips into a disco state when he throws on "We Got the Musik" by John Dahlback and Sebastian Ingrosso. The disco-infused rhythms are given a new age spin by adding some harder percussion.
It is certainly a mover and a shaker of a track. He keeps with the disco feel right into the Andy Slate song "Without Your Love." It has elements that are similar to both progressive and funky house. The squelching horns are layered over top a funky bassline. The song includes an impressive breakdown that gives the track a deeper feel.
Desyn finishes the mix by slipping the listener an "Affrodissiac." With the aide of Harry Peat he rounds out this mix in a very funky and Latin-flavored mode. It keeps with a more minimal approach and helps to slow down the mix before it finishes up. Desyn Masiello is a heavy hitter in the house world and this mix compilation is not to be taken lightly. Do yourself a favor and cop this disc today!
