Soy Mustafa Gets John Tejada & Chymera Remixing “Return of the Anunnaki”
John Tejada and Chymera called in for remix duty for the “Return of the Anunnaki”…
Now into their 10th release Cinematic further solidifies its reputation as a forward thinking electronic record label with an arsenal of solid artists and quality remixes. With the latest release by the label’s figurehead, Soy Mustafa shares an esoteric vision for what can be best described as a zeitgeist: a shift in the collective consciousness leading away from the material and into the spiritual. In “Return of the Anunnaki” Soy expresses this sentiment with an atmospheric backdrop of ethereal melodies and incessant rhythms.
Yet Soy’s early influences were much different to the sound which can be found in this release, as he explains. “Turkish folk, alot of wind instruments, and percussion that’s unique to the Bosphorus and the Mediterranean regions. But I also found influence from my dad who was a Funk freak – he was always listening to Jackie Wilson and James Brown. I really started getting into music when I lived in Tottenham. The music I discovered during my time there was really inspirational and still is. The neighbourhood always had a soundsystem somewhere that you could hear from your garden. I was too young to attend but at school all the kids were listening to Naughty By Nature, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy – “Fear of A Black Planet” is still a reference album for any Hip Hop fan. I guess my influence has always been to keep moving with it, I just gotta feel it… it needs to be a part of me and then I’m happy”. And yet, with these kind of early influences, it does make you wonder how Soy developed a taste and style such as that which is infused into “Return of the Anunnaki”.
Soy joins the dots between broken 909 drums, epic pads and a pumping duo-phonic bassline that builds with emotion and creates a desolate experience that’s withdrawn yet captivating. For many this will be just another great piece of music, but for those who like to dig deeper into various theories of life and the origins, the title “Return of the Anunnaki” will mean more. With curiosity being what it, we asked Soy why the intriguing title and weather that subject had a profound influence on this release… Soy explains, “The title is pretty real to me to be honest, I wouldn’t say I’m a religious person but I’m spiritual. A lot has been said about 2012, Nostradamus, Armageddon, the end of the world and all that jazz but I look at it somewhat differently. The worlds current state pretty much shows the way shit is going off all over the place now more than ever; whether it be earthquakes, liberation of Egypt, Somalia, Libya, the recession, the UK riots, the economic change in America and the Wall St. crash, it’s happening on a grand scale. We are living in a time where people are that much more educated, empowered, they do their own research and are not lead to believe what they’re told. There’s a real shift in people’s consciousness and it’s that shift that will bring a new age as opposed to a worlds end. The title could have been anything, and as freaky as it sounds I have seen some crazy arse shit, maybe I’m tripping but it’s real to me. From the beginning of the ages, whether it’s Sumerians, Mayans, Muslims, Christians, etc, there has always been one common denominator and that is we all look to the skies for educating”. As deep as Soy may sound, he seems to have captured the essence of his feelings on the matter within this piece of music. His sound seems to draw on that spacey vibe that you would come to associate with the title, yet it’s not cliché. It’s very forward thinking and emulates a futuristic portrait of that which Soy speaks about.
Soy Mustafa – Return of the Anunnaki (Sample incl Remixes)
Cinematic Label
More than a remix, John Tejada flips the script with a lighter, more uplifting interpretation. Using dreamstate builds, he creates a sense of optimism and a culmination of energies that when brought together create a melodious finale.
Rounding off the package, Berlin based Brendon Gregoriy aka Chymera goes all out with a gut wrenching, dubbed techno groove that pounds in its relentless approach adding a no nonsense mix that’s straight to the point.
“Return of the Anunnaki” is a class release that is equally backed by class remixes, but why the choice of John Tejada and Chymera for remixes…?
“I really wanted someone who could flip the concept, it wasn’t about just a remix for me. When I sat down and thought about who I could approach, John kept springing to mind, he’s an inspirational artist. I sent him the track as well as the parts and he moved pretty quick after that. He came back in between telling me he was really enjoying it…and it’s pretty evident in his mix, he totally got it!”
“Brendan was somewhat different, I have always been into his stuff, which has always been straight up edgy. It was a no-brainer between my mix and John’s, Brendan’s contribution would complement the release as a whole. I knew he would just take it by the balls and smash it to bits!”
When we asked Soy hoe he feels his view on music has developed from those early influences… “Its more refined. I’m more into a classic sound whatever the influence”. And “Return of the Anunnaki” would definitely be evidence of how refined his view has become. “I listen to everything and anything, I’m just not sentimental about stuff I guess is the difference. I’m really into synth based tracks like John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Kraftwerk but also Jazz and Classical. The only time I really listen to anything Electronic is when I go out”.
The Next release on Cinematic will be by Reggie Dokes, and some brow raisers to come for 2012. Soy Mustafa will be collaborating with Chez Damier on that he says is “something totally new which is exciting, and I’ve just finished a couple of remixes for Kelly Sylvia – watch out for her; and also something for Dubstep label Sonarpilot”… Maybe seeing some of those early influences shining back through.
Vinyl Release: 12th December 2011
Digital Release: 23rd December 2011
Soy’s Networks:
Myspace | Resident Advisor | Soundcloud | Cinematic |
