• Summerish refreshing remix
• Main protagonist: the piano
• The delicate use of vocal chops
In the past few days, I’ve received a lot of “Mama” remixes, so I deduced and discovered the existence of a remix contest on SKIO. Many talented producers reworked the Clean Bandit & Ellie Goulding hit, but Niko Kotoulas definitively impressed me with a stunning musical composition.
The New York-based producer is focused on piano covers and productions, and it’s evident in his “Mama” remix – a profound experience with that particular instrument. Needless to add that I always appreciate a classy piano production, and in this case, the overall result is both elegant and dynamic. That’s why I picked his version: he eliminated the predictable Clean Bandit elements and infused his style in the track. The output is hypnotic and lightweight, Niko Kotoulas used few, efficient features here.
Ellie Goulding’s vocal is left free to do its job, without distortions or changes of pitch, differently from many other reworks. I loved this idea because I loved the performance of the English vocalist, and the breakdown kept a genuine sweetness. Suddenly there are some vocal chops when things become spicy: in the drop. However, Niko Kotoulas kept the structure simple: a simple loop with a rather minimal melody accompanies his piano.
So, between all those remixes (and many of them were rather interesting!) I’ve made my choice. Niko Kotoulas didn’t exaggerate his experimentalism, and this may be a problem, but in my point of view, his version is the best because it’s precisely what I hoped the original should have been – way more dynamic, while still maintaining the summer vibes. Sometimes, simple concepts work better.
What do you think?
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