Elderbrook first popped up on our radar about nine months ago with his two fantastic releases, "Going" and "Rewinding", but we haven't heard anything new from the UK artist since then. Typically, a break this long would mean one of two things: either the man's taken a break from music altogether, or he's been busy perfecting his craft. Not only is the latter statement true, we find, but he's also now signed to the powerhouse Black Butter Records alongside HD-favorites Bipolar Sunshine, Sinead Harnett, Rudimental, and many more fantastic artists. Pretty impressive, yeah? We agree. When we last heard from Elderbrook, it was in the form of his fairly mellow blend of electronic and folk, but with his fresh remix of Amber Run's new single, "I Found", we're hearing some serious musical growth from the guy. While the original is a melancholic ballad only possessing a few electronic bits here and there, Elderbrook has implemented a more progressive, dance-ready feel which we definitely didn't expect. The song begins with nothing more than some heavy bass, sparse snaps, and some echoed vocals, but about a minute in, a pumping beat and some vocal chops introduce a new house element that almost reminds of the nature of ZHU's "Faded". The synths possess a distinct, fresh sound, and the vocal chops are constantly varying, overall amounting to a brilliant, totally unique remix. Our description of the song may place it in the house category, but make sure you don't pass this one off as a typical house remix of a mellow indie track, because what Elderbrook has done here is very different from most songs being released. The track's vibe is pretty dark, yet the house spin creates an interesting contrast which we don't hear very often. With this remix here, Elderbrook has pleasantly assured us that he's furthering his creative thought process and pushing his music in a positive direction. Also, if you dig the original's vocals, make sure you check the emotive video for "I Found", an incredibly sharp set of visuals with a controversial, thought-provoking plot.
Amber Run