‘Wild Horse’ is John Askew’s latest collaboration with Shelby Merry and the final single to be released ahead of ‘A Room Full Of Pros And Cons’ - his hotly anticipated third longform. Also taking the role of the album’s swansong finale, comparative to anything John’s released before ‘Wild Horse’ is a markedly different animal ...
Seasoned JA watchers will immediately sense the change in gear, tone and intent: somewhat akin to an out of body experience for the English producer. ‘Wild Horse’s intense, humid atmospheres haze the studio’s windows, as its beats kick with a slower, more brooding resonance. Around them artfully drawn strings, celestially streaming fx and the most casual or breakbeat loops all raise its pressure. Think mid-nineties Massive Attack, with heavier drums and you’re not far from the mark.
Having previously cut her teeth on ‘Steady & Stronger’ and ‘When Darkness Comes’, Nashville’s Shelby Merry is already a thoroughbred Askew collaborator. ‘Wild Horse’ may be a case of ‘saving the best (or at least most intense!) till last’. From the opposing perspective she relates a tale of deception, gaslighting and mindgames, baring her soul to convey real world conversations and experiences. Contrastingly, she shares her story of ‘girl-meets-wrong-boy’, leaving it up to the audience to conclude who’s saying what - and to what end.
John deferred on the remix, passing ‘Wild Horse’s reins to an outfit eminently capable of handling complex lyrics (you could even say they’ve built a career on it!). For something as intimate as ‘Wild Horse’, progressive forms the perfect bedrock, which is exactly what Sue and Suzanne supply. Drum roll, pulsing LFO, reverb-heavy percussion, raincry harmonies and Siskin’s fluid melodies all lend Shelby’s song a curiously optimistic filter.
John’s Original ‘Wild Horse’ arrived on the 9th HERE, while Siskin’s club orientation lands one week later on Aug 16 HERE. ‘A Room Full Of Pros & Cons’ will be released 27th Sept. 2024 and you can pre-order here
Tracklist
1. Grave Digger
2. Steady & Stronger (with @shelbymerry
3. Push It
4. UFO
5. 00:00
6. Be Careful What You Wish For (with @lyonheart.music )
John Askew & Shelby Merry collaborate for the stunning track Wild Horse. The original is a stunning breaks anthem with dark moody atmosphere and the fantastic indie rock magical voice by Shelby. The result is a winner that will manage easily to carry your mind away and appreciate the superb story that the emotional lyrics describe with so much power, dynamism and intensity. Siskin are the beloved female duo that always impress with her productions and their remix is coolest version that you didn't expect to get. Rather than the full on tech trance remix, Siskin add their flirting melodic progressive touch that moves in and out of trance and house with cool dark melodic techno dystopian synthy lines leading to the euphoric feeling free type of climax that floats so beautifully and encourage you to let the inhibitions and adopt your hidden free spirit. #PureGold Love IT
10.0
Overall Score
Beat and Rhythm10
Basslines and Groove10
Melody 10
Synths 10
Breakdown10
Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment10
Intensity, Drive and Energy10
Sound-design and Arrangement10
Overall Atmosphere10
Goosebumps / Shivers moments10
Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments10
Originality and Inventiveness10
Radio Friendly10
Vocals & lyrics10
You can’t get this memorable track out of your head10
It has potential to become an anthem or a classic10