After experiencing a Krystal Klear set at San Francisco’s 1015 Folsom in August of 2011, I was drawn to his sound immediately, like a fly to compost. But his taste ain’t trashy, that’s for sure. His mix was largely composed of boogie funk, 1980s disco, and vintage electro soul and visibly got under the skin of the crowd, commanding shoulders to slide back and forth and feet to tap in time. The Manchester-based producer’s talent was instantly noticeable, in that he successfully hit a nostalgic nerve with his aim of energetic throwback soul.
On this schoolgirl crush of a remix of Last Time by Brooklyn’s Telephoned, he replicates the R&B new jack beats and bass riffs that put Janet, Madonna and Paula on the map. One of the real stars of this remix is the in-your-face slap bass that he lays all over the track. At 4:02 there is a deeply groovy transition that is simply heaven, thanks to Krystal Klear‘s isolation of said bass line. On top of all that, Krystal sends Maggie Horn‘s vocal samples up in a swirl around the instrumentation in a pitch-shifted, syncopated frenzy.
After jamming on this track, if you’re on the lookout for more Krystal Klear then I highly suggest you download his Fact Mix, a very accurate representation of his electro, boogie down flavor. And if that’s not enough content for you today, take some time to shake it with Maggie Horn in their video for the original Last Time, where she does some of the best sit-dancing I have ever seen captured on video.