Marco Viera: El Eden (Anakim Remix) Review

In the world of electronic music, the term ‘functional’ can seem like a dirty word, a smear against anything that doesn’t dare to step beyond convention. There is, I suppose, solid reasoning behind this – without the innovators, the Kraftwerks and the Juan Atkins’ of the world, we would not have the various styles of music that we all hold so dear today. Functional tunes, however, also have their own role to play, and an important one at that. They form the backbone of many a big-name DJ’s sets, and are belted out of festival and club sound systems the world over. It is safe to assume that producers who play it safe contribute more to the scene’s economy than those taking brave forays into new sounds, and this success has to be can only be good for everyone in the long run. They form an un-challenging entry point for those less versed in the music, potential fans, DJs and producers.

This brings me to Anakim’s remix of Marco Viera’s El Eden. In his interpretation of the song, Anakim twists the melodic Techno of the original mix into the kind of deep and cosmic Tech-House that acts such as Tale of Us have made so popular in recent years. It possesses many of the hallmarks of this style – a melancholic and half spoken vocal sample, cosmic synth melodies and a series of breaks purpose built for sending Ibiza crowds into overdrive.

The song begins with an understated, throbbing synth and a rolling rhythm, which slowly builds towards a crescendo of intertwining synth lines, possessing all the ‘hugeness’ you would expect. ‘Functional’ is the key word here, and that is fine. I’m sure this production would do its job amiably in the right context, just don’t except to get much out of it when played through your speakers at home.