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Colin Barratt
» The Extended Players EP
Reviewed by Matt Smallwood
/ Submitted 06-10-04 20:31
Label: Tidy
Format: 12" Vinyl
Genre: Hard House/Techno/Hard Trance
Here we have the first in a new series from the mastermind camp of Tidy, called ‘The extended players’. First to grace us with his presence is Colin Barrett, who has been making a massive name for himself lately, after he first shot to fame with ‘You know’ on Retek a couple of years back. That track didn’t leave my bag until a few weeks ago, and I’m already missing playing it out so it may make a welcome return to Smallwood’s bag of goodies! Needless to say I was rather excited when he told me he had a 4 track EP due out on Tidy very soon, each of them superb in my opinion. With that in mind I feel it more than deserves a mention on here!
We’ll start with the A side ‘Expect the unexpected’. A typical Barratt-esque funky hard houser here, with his trademark techy percussion, crisp hi-hats and an awesome groove. There’s a cool little vocal loop which adds to the funky vibe, accompanied with a bass line that would get your granny bobbing her head like a pigeon on Bolivian marching powder! In the breakdown a nice dirty synth is introduced and the track slows down a little, just enough time to get your breath back and we're back off to Groovesville once again! This has to be heard on a big system, it’ll blow ya socks off, trust me!
The A2 track is ‘F.U.N.K’ and it does exactly what it says on the tin! A little more experimental this time round though, with a nice long intro making it great for those long mixes. The funky bass line is still there, along with some cool trumpet-esque stabs which work well on this track. Colin’s used some wicked percussion here, almost like kettle drums, giving a nice tribal vibe along with a female vocal ‘F.U.N.K’ which sounds almost like a chant at times! An ideal early set track. Feel da funk folks!
On the flip we have the AA ‘Harder Faster’ which is once again a different style to the other two. Here Colin’s gone down the Hard Trance route, and to great effect! Now, I’m not known for playing hard trance normally as you know, but I really like this track! I find that alot of Colin’s trancier stuff is very playable in my sets, so any of you out there who aren’t too into your trance, give barratt’s a go! Hehe, that sounds like an advert: ‘Not keen on trance? Give Barratt’s a go’!  Sorry, back to the music! The bass line is a little busier here and not as subby, which seems to work better with this style. I’m not sure what kind of films young Barratt has been watching (ahem) but the vocal in the breakdown is ‘Do you like it hard? Do you like it fast? Give it to me hard!’ Say no more! This really does work well with the riff though, which is nice and uplifting but tough at the same time. The postproduction is awesome in this track, as with all on the EP, with flanging, echo, some wicked swhooshes, and eery sound effects that give the whole track a really professional and complete sound. Nice. 
Last but by no means least we have on the AA2 ‘Groove Station’ and it’s quite a lot slower than the others, but don’t let that put you off, as this is my fave of the EP! I’ve lost count of the times I’ve used the word ‘funk’ or ‘funky’ in this review, but this has the FUNKIEST groove you could imagine! There’s some wicked tribal chants and chunky techy loops, and the arrangement is really exciting with chops and changes, and of course all the quirky production effects Colin’s now renowned for! He’s used a nice synth in the breakdown coupled with an acid like noise which is really catchy and makes the track more appealing to the ‘Hard House’ crowd. Another one that devastates on the big systems, and I love it! All in all a superb debut EP from Colin Barratt, with something for everyone. This really does prove that the lad is, in my opinion, one of the most promising and exciting producers in the country at the moment. Well done mate! 
Rating: 
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If you would like Matt to review your track here, please feel free to e-mail him at mattsmallwood@hotmail.com for details. CD-R's, TP's, and Promo's preferred.
For more information on DJ / Production / Remix bookings, please contact Matt at the above e-mail address, or by phone on 07961 39 88 55.
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Comments:
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From: Lee Osborne on 6th Oct 2004 20:50.01
loving this Ep! Well done colin
From: WILL_POWER on 6th Oct 2004 20:59.21
excellent review, never a truer word spoken, a welcome return of funkiness.
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