01. John Askew & Shelby Merry – Wild Horse (Extended Mix)
02. John Askew & Shelby Merry - Wild Horse (Siskin Remix)
‘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 )
7. Take A Breath (with @manika.kaur )
8. Running in the Dark
9. These Dogs Trust No One (Red Dragon Edit)
10. Organism
11. Hear Me (with KALEIDO$COPE)
12. When Darkness Comes (with Shelby Merry)
13. Aces Hi
14. I Want Your Soul (with @sinfulbiz )
15. Afterburner
16. Wild Horse (with Shelby Merry)
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]John Askew & Shelby Merry - Wild Horse (Original & Siskin Remix) [/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]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 [/content]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item][item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item]
[item value="10"] Melody [/item]
[item value="10"] Synths [/item]
[item value="10"]Breakdown[/item]
[item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item]
[item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item]
[item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item]
[item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item]
[item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]Radio Friendly[/item]
[item value="10"]Vocals & lyrics[/item]
[item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item]
[item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item]
[/review]