VA - Dérive, Vol. 1

To celebrate the collective's first anniversary, Derive Vol. 1 is the first ever compilation of tracks which reaps from incredible talent from all places, and to kick things off, the team of artists makes a close approach at the melodic techno realm and takes a step forward. It does not cease to surprise and captivate, as the multifaceted volume is entrenched with deep and dark elements, filled with revealing stories and both powerful and discrete emotions to tap into - A delight to the senses.
The compilation inaugurates with the incredible duo Apo Tulup. Having established itself in Awen Records for a while now, the project now proposes an intelligent and illuminating beginning track for deep dip. 'El Faro' takes the listener for a fun and exciting ride with its igniting melodies, driving arps and rhythmic pads. Modular effects and melodies do not cease to surprise. Along with an exciting percussion play, and the recurring voices, the song deeply entrench the mind and the body in the ride. El Faro' is sure to rock any dancefloor, and the only regret is that it's only 7-minutes long.
For the second track we see the proverbial Minders come in full view. The name of the track is Drifting and it delivers a powerful ambience and baseline from the very start. Slowly coming into the body of the melody, the track unshackles itself and delivers the intensity of an earthquake into the dance-floor. Once the break is reached, soulful pads and elating piano notes make a beautiful promise, right until the dream is sharply cut to make room for the voice that speaks throughout this volume: an exploration of the dark side of our nature. A vibrating track packed with sheer dark power.
After releasing with Ta'kaam and Minders, Xtabay shines a new light with her brand new, and first Single 'Seagull'. The flight begins with a driving bassline and eastern-induced effects. Arps and melodies permeate the progression through discovery. And while the special synth melodies and deep basslines fill the break with wonder, the bird takes a turn into the deeper and stronger side of melodic techno and progressive. This goes on all the way into the end. A 6-minute trip worth being a passenger of.
Amiti and Hoppus 'Adrastea' delivers a strong kick drum and a solid presence of hi-hats and a baseline from the beginning, thus portending the greatness of the track. A song reminiscent of a kind of rite of passage. The evolving melodies and effects drive deeper until they reach the one-of-a-kind break: Filled with arps, enveloping pads and powerful synth dances, reveals that which cannot be escaped: the natural order of things. After a few moments of silence, the rite culminates right back into the body of Adreastea with full force; and every new element affirms the inevitableness of the track, over and over again, until the end. An inspiring encapsulation of transcendence.
Ta'kaam celebrates his first release as a solo artist with Primal, and this time around, goes all the way down to the roots of melodic techno. Fasten your seatbelts, because 'Primal' is an irreverent track, portraying effects, synths and an overall beastial environment through and through. The arps and suddenly appearing synths drive deeper into the unconscious and violent side of our nature. A real voyage through the harshness yet enlivening part of ourselves.
Eleven of July recharges the volume with Sibilate.' With labyrinthine arps becoming melodies, and electric melodies becoming bass, the hiss drives up and down the listener like a rollercoaster. The ride tells a story until it lets in a break that foretells one the last drop. The sixth track draws a new line of action that leads with insistent tones and reverberating questions, making us want to know more and more.
Inagurating the second half of the compilation, AO makes his debut in deep dip and as a solo artist with an exceptional track. 'New beginning' confounds synths and powerfully evolving melodies with tonalities that guide the constancy of the rest with great ingenuity. As the ride approaches the break, the glowing appearance of lead sounds and melodious arps remark the presence of something out of nothing. An even though the sound hesitations persist for a few moments, they only do so to come full force at the drop with a reborn vista of arpeggios and sensational pads and tones. A great inception for the mexican artist and what is to follow.
For the eight track, we close up to Revenänt, a rising melodic techno artist in the Mexican scene. This time he leads with calming and alerting bass effects and oniric melodies until 'Eclipse' starts settling in. The advent of the alarming bass pushes melodic permutation out the more it sets in. And as it finds its groove, hi-hats join the show until longer tones elude us into the magnificence of the darkening.
Having established himself in Steyoyoke, Diazar is welcomed to deep dip with an incredible track. 'Distante' commences with a rhythmic bass and kick, which quickly evolves into the sophistication percussion play characteristic of Diazar. The producer then takes us to the remote confines of the space with accompanying arms and delicate synths. Palpitating melodies intrude until the snares and effects seep in fully into dance. The energy continues to rise and explore the in-between spaces until it smoothly transitions into the mystery and polish of the break. A track that creates room for ideas and sounds to freely travel through.
Next up is 'Grey Day,' an ambience of tones and melodies that deffuse everyday experience into a tranquil introspection. Lead by the multifaceted and generative artist, the song sets the stage for a needed break in consciousness. The strings and organic leads reinstate the energy of cloudiness and further inner exploration all the way through. As the percussion and plate additions merge, an ominous energy sets into the break: A moment of stillness for the mind, to recapitulate what has sounded before, and bring it all together into one final revelatory drop.
'Changes' by Zieze packs a set of melodic elements, revolving crescendos and surprising power. At times disconcerting and at others powerfully soul-aligning. A song about contrasts and experimentations with the nature of sound itself. The result is a spiritual and meaningful sound-story reminiscing a sense of both endurance and resolution. With a break that does not cease to inspire away from sorrow and reveal deeper truths through evolving synths and pads. Truly a track of great stature.
Last but not least is 'Manigold.' A song that transport the listener from the beginning. With a mix of delicate and strong tones, the careful addition of each sound makes the journey through the darkness of the song a real adventure. Zaria's track keeps the bass and kick driving the ever-interesting hi-hats and melodies into the journey. Melodies and sudden effects come and go, but become necessary elements of the trip into an unknown place, like Marigolds guiding life back from the afterlife. A torch of sound which closes a page, and suggests the opening of more, and more stories.

01. Apo Tulup - El Faro (Original Mix) 7:02
02. Minders - Drifting (Original Mix) 7:36
03. Xtabay - Seagull (Original Mix) 6:16
04. Amiti & Hoppus - Adrastea (Original Mix) 6:38
05. Ta'kaam - Primal (Original Mix) 8:00
06. Eleven Of July - Sibilate (Original Mix) 6:50
07. AO (MX) - New Beginning (Original Mix) 7:29
08. Revenant (MX) - Eclipse (Original Mix) 6:38
09. Diazar - Distante (Original Mix) 7:08
10. EZEK - Grey Day (Original Mix) 7:37
11. Zaria - Marigold (Original Mix) 7:16
12. Zieze - Changes (Original Mix) 7:26