by Dorian Goldman

One of our favorite artists, Patlac, has come a very long way since his first EP on liebe*detail. Over the years he has developed a unique musical identity, which we at FictionLab can’t get enough of. He is about to release his new EP, titled ‘Velox’, next month, and we are very excited to have the opportunity to give it a listen before it comes out.

The EP contains two original productions of Patlac, Velox and Celer, along with two remixes of Velox by Mathias Schober, aka Show-B or SB, and one by Never More. Mathias Schober, who refers to himself as “the man of a thousand disguises” in his bio, is also one half of the duo SBTH, and one half of Pattern Select with Milton Jackson. He also runs the label LOSSLESS, where he has made most of his previous releases.

The originals on this EP epitomize Patlac’s style - deep, dreamy, melodic house at its finest, while the remixes add an energetic twist that will keep dance floors moving.

The EP starts off with Velox, which eases you in with a melancholy bassline incorporating a dreamy overarching synth pad - joined by this shortly after is an addictive, bell-like stab. A spacey, retro-infused lead then develops before entering the breakdown. When all these elements are combined, it leaves you with the feeling of a beautiful, yet dark nocturnal journey.

Celer starts with a similar feel with a dreamy airy synth pad in the background, and a gritty drum riff and bassline which adds its own unique character. Eventually, the track is given additional direction with tension-building, hopeful-sounding stabs. These components combine to add energy and focus compared to Velox, but patiently, and thus building tension in a masterful way.

Mathias Schober delivers two remixes of Velox that make the tracks dance floor ready and add an overall energy to the originals. The names are incredibly appropriate as well - the so-called ‘Raw’ version builds tempo and adds an overall ‘aggression’ and ‘grittiness’ to the original production, due largely to an overarching distorted pad which encompasses the track. The ‘polished’ version, by contrast, is just like it sounds - the synths are indeed ‘polished,’ and sound much ‘cleaner’, which lightens the mood and elevates the emotion of the raw version. Both remixes are absolute bangers sure to keep your fist pumping.

The final remix is delivered by Republik’s very own Never More. Similarly to Schober, Never More takes the original ‘Celer’ and adds a dance floor kick to it by adding an addictive riff and darkened pad which adds a intensity to the original.

Overall the EP provides beautiful, melodic originals by Patlac accompanied by powerful, energetic remixes by Schober and Never More making it an incredible compilation. We can’t wait to what he has in store for us next.

The EP will be released on the Irish label Republik Music Recordings, on October 3rd.