PREMIERE: Alex O'Rion - The Chase [Meanwhile Recordings]

A truly talented artist with huge following and global appeal, Alex O’Rion continues to go from strength to strength within the world of underground dance. With his work spanning some 15 years of commercial releases, the Dutch master is a welcome returnee to Meanwhile with a stellar quartet of original tracks. A regular across the industry’s finest purveyors of modern and cerebral progressive house music, Alex O’Rion has constantly found his music featured on such esteemed imprints as Hernan Cattaneo’s Sudbeat, Guy J’s Lost & Found and Nick Warren’s Hope. A regular visitor to the upper echelons of the Beatport charts, over a million Spotify streams in 2020 and 4,000 followers points to broad appeal and wide-ranging support. Now returning to Meanwhile after a trio of remixes for label head-honchos GMJ & Matter on June 2020’s “Gauntlet” and February 2021’s “The Path”, Alex O’Rion now returns to the label with a devastating 4-track original EP of unrivalled quality. The “Echium” title track is a blistering sub-bass monster that drives along powerfully on a bed of ticking hi-hats and chest-thumping kick. Building in momentum, smooth pads and effortless synth lines flow across the 8-minute piece before revelling in a stripped-back breakdown. Picking up the pace again in the third movement, gorgeous harmonic overtones layer delicately across each other, borne of never-ending delay sweeps. “Stranded” continues the powerful rhythmic narrative and otherworldly sonic landscape before a percussive loop provides subtle melodic phrasing. Shifting synth sequences bisect the left-right spectrum as waves of white noise fall against a rocky outcrop of percussive hats. Melodic lines continue to evolve in delicate patterns into the second half in a sonic palette of sheer bliss. A sumptuous bassline groove propels “The Chase” through its hypnotic paces, accompanied by a chugging rhythmic backdrop. Simultaneously, gentle synth motifs pulsate in side-chained synchronicity as a rich symphony of sound swells into the second half against a plucked earworm phrase. The result is a dynamic and devastating club-friendly track that is sure to inspire a multitude of hands-in-the-air moments. “The Serpent” ends the quadrilogy with its rippling sound effects that cascade in spiral patterns against a melodious foreground. Delicate percussive patterns marry with a deep resonant kick to provide a rhythmic anchor, giving freeform synth motifs the opportunity to express a meandering sonic voyage that reaches a powerful crescendo at the midpoint. Hitting its stride again in the third movement with additional melodic sequencing, the result is a charismatic end to an outstanding original EP. FOLLOW ALEX O'RION https://soundcloud.com/alexorion https://www.facebook.com/alexorionofficial https://www.instagram.com/alexoriondj MEANWHILE SOCIALS https://soundcloud.com/meanwhilerec https://www.facebook.com/meanwhilerecordings https://www.instagram.com/meanwhile_recordings PRE ORDER BUY LINK https://www.beatport.com/release/echium/3371489