Re:Locate - Typhoon / Fortitude

I am probably going out of convention for saying that I prefer the B Side, "Fortitude", but it is rather true that this one, and not the much more popular "Typhoon", grips me the most. Fortitude, I would say, is one of the rarer types of trance music I've heard, where the pad synths are the main melodic focus, rather than lead synths. What I find special in Fortitude is ability to turn what could easily have been a chillout track into a smooth trance song that retains its club friendly nature. The pads have an airy, almost flute-like texture, and the melody is unbelievably graceful and moving in all its simplicity. The song's energy level moves somewhat linearly (ascending to its initial peak once the song goes to a breakbeat segment) until the breakdown, at which point we are left alone with the aura of the main melody. The breakdown nicely contrasts this melody with an interesting range of percussive sounds that bring out this almost summery feel. I would generally describe the song's melodic elements throughout as slippery wet, almost like a more melodic redux of Re:Locate's earlier track "Waterfall." Combined with the melody, Fortitude seems to dispatch you to some of the most remote corners of the world as you drift off into euphoria. Fortitude is pure bliss, and a gravely underrated tune.

Typhoon on the A is definitely more upfront than Fortitude. The melody certainly spells out "typhoon" based on its ominous, yet playful, tone. The chord structure is anticipatory, but it gets to a point, which I just discussed. Typhoon is the more aggressive song on this release, and I wouldn't rate it a notch below 5/5 either. It's simply out of preference that I prefer the more relaxed Fortitude in this case.