USA based breakbeat stable 504 Recordings are an interesting outfit, not least because of their faith in Fruityloops as a much overlooked production tool. This piece of software is regarded by many as a toy but, as label boss Tears of Technology told me, “it's not the tools that matter, it's the heart.” Let's see...
Beginning simply with just the kicks and hihats, For You has an unmistakeably synthetic, electronic sound that runs all the way through. Bright pads and arpeggios, backed with melancholic harmonies, build over an on beat rolling bass hook that seems oddly reminiscent of '90s trance records (but in a nice way).
Soon comes a switch to an ethnic sounding plucked instrument and a momentous melodic drop over the middle section that continues the trancey, happy vibe. There are obvious Balearic influences and the sound brings to mind sunny days, drinking jugs of cocktail and partying outdoors with chicks in bikinis. Nice images.
After a long snare drum roll the it comes back meatier than before, the beat is punchier and more compressed sounding than over the intro, with a new snare injecting a bit more dancefloor urgency. The epynomous vocal echoes out of the mix dreamily and there is one more melody to add to an overall triumphant tone.
This is a nice tune and definitely one for the summer, perhaps at a barbeque or out. Each element has been well thought through and carefully planned, but it simply isn't really night time music.
Tears of Technology's remix makes more of a virtue Fruityloops' electronic, loop based drum programming. Whilst it keeps the synthetic vibe, here the beats are tighter and punchier, like an updated eighties breakbeat jam or something the Streetlife DJs might drop. Long, pitched snare rolls and cow bells
The trancey elements of the original are not overlooked and are, if anything, intensified. Tears of Technology introduces hardcore elements to the track with dissonant, but still dreamy, rave riffs and a more syncopated bassline. The vocal takes a more prominent place in the mix, pitched and gated for a more euphoric rave energy. Judicious stripping back to the essentials – beats, bass and pads – allows for repeat build ups that allow for a little more variety. Where the original had only one momentous drop, the version fits in three such climaxes, each introducing a different, equally danceable vibe.
This is by far the stronger track of the release. A tight roller that'll get any dancefloor rocking, and that harks back authentically to the original acid dance template while introducing original elements that could only have come out of the US. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this record is that fact that the whole thing has been built on Fruityloops, but don't let that detract from the overall quality: this sits up there with the best Pro-Tools mastered cuts. 504 Recordings are definitely a crew to watch.