Dark By Design - Blackout

The original version of this track is pretty damn good. After the buildup there is a long pause, and a time-stretched vocal comes on just before the bass hits. Excellent break-down, build-up & release on this track. "Blackout" certainly isn't Gaz West's best tune, but it kicks the ass of many that try to imitate it's style.

The remix has to be one of Yoji's biggest dissapointments. It is very, very lame. The pace seems slow, the percussion is all over the place, and the main melody is drowned out by the bizarre noises added over the dull bassline. The opera vocals we're a very nice touch, but the rest of the track is pure shit. I really think this was Romeo Toscani's fault. Ever since Romeo Toscani has been Yoji's production partner, his works have gone to shit.

The original song is a diamond, a brilliant tune with a catchy lead riff and quite some spacy break. Yet it is quite simply worked out. Reminds me of Kan Cold's usual style, but with a much different, detuned synth and the typical old skool hardstyle bassline, used by so many producers.

Way better it is, then some of the cheezy crap Gaz West is also responsible of, but anyone who makes this kind of track has to do more than just that to lose my respect.

The remix, on the other hand, is an atrocious rape of the original, using a synthesized opera singer's voice, and really not leaving much of the amazing ideas from the original intact. A real shame the Japanese NRG master involved himself into doing this.