Elevven remix 'Legacy' from Oliver Smith's debut studio album 'Footprints', out 17th December on Anjunabeats.
Oliver Smith has established himself as a driving force in electronic music and performed at some of the biggest clubs and festivals in the world. With a wide array of releases and multiple aliases under his belt, the London-based DJ and producer is part of the fabric of Anjunabeats, being both the first signing to the record label and the only artist (other than label bosses Above & Beyond) to have featured on all 16 of the label's beloved 'Volume' compilations.
Released earlier this year as part of Oliver Smith's debut album 'Footprints', 'Legacy' sees the Anjunabeats mainstay join forces with mesmerizing singer-songwriter FARLEY. Now, Elevven serve up a slamming rework of the track.
US production duo Elevven first appeared on the label with their remix of Gabriel & Dresden’s ‘You’, going on to become one of Above & Beyond’s most played tracks of 2018. The duo remixed 7 Skies ‘Sushi’ and Andrew Bayer & Red Dragons ‘Matriarch’ in the years that followed, as well as releasing their first original release on Anjunabeats, ‘The Distance’. They returned to the label in June of this year with their thumping single 'Good Love', which earned support from Giuseppe Ottaviani, Lange, Ruben De Ronde, Seb Fontaine, Will Sea, Dark Heart, Adam White, ASOT, Beat 106 Scotland and more.
‘Footprints’ takes listeners on a captivating journey through Oliver’s evolution as an artist. The timeless and hotly anticipated debut album is one of the top requested Anjunabeats releases to date, and is the culmination of a songwriting process that began several years ago.
“I’ve been releasing music for years, but my own album always took a backseat,” Oliver says. “When I finally started the project I had so many ideas and was unsure where to begin. I decided to embrace the process and let the destination reveal itself. This inspired ‘Footprints’, the title for the album, as even the tracks that didn’t make it left an imprint, and were a necessary part of the journey.”
There’s echoes of all eras of Oliver’s sound on ‘Footprints’, from addictive bassline-driven tracks like ‘Legacy’ and ‘Be The One', to stylings of his Anjunadeep alias Meramek in the house-leaning ‘Love Is A Feeling’, and the soaring trance arps in ‘Don't Hold Back’ and ‘Breathe’. The album also sees Oliver collaborate with an eclectic cast of vocalists and songwriters, including Tailor, FARLEY, Benjamin Roustaing and Susie Ledge.
“I wanted to go beyond club music and tell real stories, so I collaborated with some incredible singers and songwriters who brought a whole new dimension to the project,” Oliver says. “I put a lot of thought into making sure every track had something special and truly deserved its place on the album. I think people will recognise the thread that connects all my releases, and hopefully, they’ll enjoy the new directions I’ve explored as well.”
‘Footprints’ also follows a string of hits in recent years that have cemented Oliver’s position at the forefront of dance music. Fan favourites like ‘Lovingly’, ‘Warehouse’ and ‘Be Alone’ rapidly ascended the Beatport charts and added to a discography that’s amassed over 20 million streams to date. In 2018, Oliver mixed the ‘Anjunabeats Worldwide 08’ compilation, which included ten of his own productions and reached the #1 spot on the iTunes dance chart in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia.
Buy/Stream: HERE
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"] Oliver Smith & FARLEY - Legacy (Elevven Remix) [/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]Elevven’s remix of Oliver Smith & FARLEY’s “Legacy” is a masterclass in modern trance production, blending technical precision with uplifting emotional resonance. At 136 BPM, the track functions as a mainstage anthem, incorporating elements of tech trance and euphoric melodic trance. The remix opens with raw, bouncy drums and punchy kicks that immediately establish a driving rhythm. Elevven’s use of layered basslines, spacious percussion, and intricate hi-hat patterns demonstrates their deep understanding of energy management in electronic music production. The breakdown is particularly notable: it introduces FARLEY’s ethereal vocals amidst airy pads and subtle reverb effects, creating a hypnotic prelude to the explosive drop. From a production standpoint, Elevven’s sound design showcases meticulous attention to detail. The track features a rich harmonic structure, with lush synth stabs in the climax supported by wide stereo imaging and carefully modulated filters. The arrangement reflects a perfect balance between dynamic range and loudness, giving every element room to breathe while maintaining festival-level impact. The build-ups and transitions are handled with precision, using risers, sweeps, and delay effects to generate tension without overwhelming the listener. Spatial design is another highlight: reverbs and delays are used to craft a three-dimensional sonic environment, ensuring the track feels immersive on both club systems and personal headphones. Beyond its technical excellence, “Legacy” has significant positive effects on mental health and wellness applications. Research in music therapy and neuroscience has shown that rhythmic, uplifting electronic music at tempos around 120–140 BPM can enhance mood, reduce perceived stress, and improve exercise performance (Thoma et al., 2013; Karageorghis & Priest, 2012). The euphoric chord progressions and predictable rhythmic flow can stimulate dopamine release, associated with feelings of pleasure and motivation. In fitness and wellness contexts, tracks like this have been found to increase endurance and promote flow states during activities like cycling, running, and high-intensity interval training. Furthermore, the emotionally resonant vocals contribute to feelings of connection and inspiration, which aligns with studies on the psychological benefits of melodic harmonic content in music (Blood & Zatorre, 2001). In summary, Elevven’s remix of “Legacy” is a technically brilliant and emotionally rewarding trance record. It excels in production quality, energy flow, and club/festival suitability, while also offering measurable benefits for mental health and physical activity. Its balance of artistic creativity and functional design ensures that it not only energizes dance floors but also enhances wellness experiences. #PureGold Love iT [/content]
[item value="10"]Rhythm, Groove & Drive[/item][item value="10"]Melodic Hooks & Harmonic Layers[/item]
[item value="10"]Transitions, Drops & Build-Ups [/item]
[item value="10"]Energy Flow & Momentum [/item]
[item value="10"]Sound Design & Production Quality[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality of Arrangement & Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]Use of Effects & Spatial Design[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Range & Loudness Balance[/item]
[item value="10"]Atmosphere & Immersion[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional Resonance[/item]
[item value="10"]Creativity & Artistic Identity[/item]
[item value="10"]Cohesion & Storytelling[/item]
[item value="10"]Vocal Performance & Lyrical Impact[/item]
[item value="10"]Catchiness & Replay Value[/item]
[item value="10"]Club / Festival Suitability[/item]
[item value="10"]Track Intro/Outro Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]BPM Consistency & Sync Ease[/item]
[item value="10"]Cue Points & Loop Potential[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Energy for Set Flow[/item]
[item value="10"]Crowd Reaction Potential[/item]
[/review]
Suggested Bibliography:
Blood, A. J., & Zatorre, R. J. (2001). Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(20), 11818–11823.
Karageorghis, C. I., & Priest, D. L. (2012). Music in the exercise domain: A review and synthesis (Part I). International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(1), 44–66.
Thoma, M. V., Ryf, S., Mohiyeddini, C., Ehlert, U., & Nater, U. M. (2013). Emotion regulation through listening to music in everyday situations. Cognition and Emotion, 27(3), 534–543.
Altenmüller, E., & Schlaug, G. (2015). Music, brain, and health: Exploring biological foundations of music’s health effects. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 25(2), 79–88.
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