• Retransforming the breakdown
• Anti-climax in the drops
• Modernistic original, futuristic remake

Thinking about it now, “Giratina” was ahead of its time. Dimatik, Monik & Carroch unveiled the gem almost a decade back; a moment when Melbourne Bounce was slowly transitioning into the Vini-Vici style Psy-Trance, and was one of the first tracks leveraging Psy-basslines with Big Room sounds.

Originally, the vocal loop didn’t make sense and I plain disliked it due to the high-pitched voices. Then again, I didn’t (and still can’t) find its connection with Pokemon (it’s related to Giratina, right? There’s a dragon on the cover! Why is there an ethnic/exotic vocal loop that reminds me of Dugtrio?).

Anyway, I admit that “Giratina”— 15 million streams and growing— hit the mark in a market that wasn’t braced for modern Psytrance and supplied the breakthrough for Dimatik’s career. Now, the Australian creator is one of the established names in the fields, having several underground hits (lately the “Eurodancer” remix), which I have also reviewed positively. Among all the high ratings that Dimatik received deservedly, “Giratina” was the odd one out by not being compelling enough for me. In retrospect, given the new trend, I think it sounds more 2014-ish now than in 2015: these vocals and basses are quite familiar in the EDM scene.

But how can one modernize such a modern track?

Let’s see what MaRLo, another veteran, thought. The pair have teamed up for “Giratina Reborn”, giving a current twist to the original.

This rework is even more enterprising, with several chops in the initial moments; a more orchestral take in the long buildup (which I didn’t get into, preferred the ingenuity of the old Big Room break instead), and a massive anti-climax in the closing. I would say that the main crux is in the second-minute mark, where the Hard Dance drop seized the opportunity. I see what MaRLo did here, as there are some Trance influences in the lead, and Dimatik’s signature low-end. The result comes off as new and uncanny, a trait that I like as a reviewer, but didn’t click with first-time listen.

There are mixed feelings about this: I love the style of both producers, and the original left me unsatisfied due to the vocals. This is an iconic tune for Dimatik, one that kickstarted his success, and left me hoping for something even more unforgettable. “Giratina Reborn” sounds a lot more like an experiment trying to be convincing, although I respect the choice to alter the structure and be bold.

Personally, my head still hasn’t wrapped around “Giratina”, but Dimatik and MaRLo did a respectable job of continuing to explore their sounds by making a grabby (yet experimental) tune. That’s what I am looking for mostly.

You can listen to “Giratina Reborn” here:

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