Ivaylo & Slammer feat. Renate – Breathe Easy

Bogota Records return with a follow up to their truly special summer hit “Guide Line”. Where that was a statement of intent, their new single “Breathe Easy” aims to cement the winning combination of producers Ivaylo and Slammer with singer Renate. It’s another thick mix of Bogota style balanced by perfectly arranged remixes, each molded into their own strong identity and building on the solid foundation set by the original.

Ivaylo is a Bulgarian native based in Oslo, at the head of Bogota Records, and Slammer is the label’s sound technician. “Breathe Easy” is the latest of their numerous planned projects. Renate is a good friend of Ivaylo and they have worked together previously, highlighting her delicate vocal delivery over smooth house productions. Their coupling has already proven itself to be a memorable and enduring collaboration, so it’s not surprising the two have set a goal of eventually performing live together.

Let’s start off by noting how clear it’s becoming that Renate’s voice has a uniquely, distinguishing personality that is hard to place, but easy to love. She always delivers with an understated sweetness characteristic of what the music world has come to treasure in Scandinavian pop with indie and experimental leanings. Where it gets tricky is the smoothed over, soulful diva accents that bring to mind wonderful jazz and chill out performances. On “Breathe Easy”, Renate’s vocal nuances work to completely pull the listener in once again, teetering on the wait for her to deliver closure while also hoping it never ends. Meanwhile, the production efforts of Ivaylo and Slammer depend on hard drum programming and a murky low end while the synths take an elevator softly towards a bright, arpeggiated climax.

The remixes flow from Oslo to Bulgaria, from the Bay Area to Barcelona. Kelvin K (Lost My Dog) is a transplant between England and the States’ West Coast. He’s very well versed in the American house music sound, having performed with a lot of its key DJs and producers (Larry Heard, King Britt, Jovonn, and more). His Playin Old School Mix does what it says on the tin with a perfectly rounded bass line, lovely Rhodes keys, and sharp horn stabs that bring to mind better times for the musicality of house productions. Norwegian Jarle Bråthen’s productions have made their way onto a few releases for Prins Thoms’ Full Pupp label. That should lend a clue as to the squelchy, somewhere between acid and Italo disco direction of his cosmically inclined remix. It makes for a very spacious club tune. Sound Solutions is a two years running meeting of the minds between Bulgarian DJ / producer Ognyan Gurkov and musician / composer Iasmin Issinov. Together they start their remix of “Breathe Easy” with lush strings before introducing a futuristic soundscape with their synth work, contrasting this with vibrant piano notes. It builds up into a euphoric release. Arildo, a good friend of the Bogota label and owner of Cymasonic Recordings, finishes off the release with a mechanical, but funky remix. There’s a springy, percussive shuffle on top of a bludgeoning bass sound as well as deep, dusty pads that mirror the low end flow.