Sasha Jan Rezzie All My Dreams EP
The Brooklyn trio releases five slices of sublime raveland bliss on 1080p.
For dance-music enthusiasts of a certain vintage—okay, we’ll get specific: aging ravers—the new five-tracker from Brooklyn threesome Sasha Desree, Jan Woo and Rezzie Avissar will bring back hazy memories of dewy festival fields, rainbows in the sky and glowing flowers underfoot. Released on Vancouver’s on-a-roll 1080p, the EP has something of an lysergic-tinged, throwback feel to it—it does a nifty job of referencing those relatively innocent of the early ’90s, when the general acid-house public first fully realized that their beloved music was as much for feeding the head as it was for jacking the box.
But to dismiss All My Dreams as a nostalgia trip would be a mistake—these five songs are assured, rich works, no matter what the era. Sure, part of the enjoyment that the tracks bring comes from thinking about their reference points, whether or not those references were intentional on the part of the three producers. The swooning coos and uplifting chord changes of “Wild Heart”? They’re a bit reminiscent of the Chill mix of Psychedelic Research Lab’s “Tarenah”—but rather than resting amid a sea of 303 bubbles, those elements sit within a rich bed of angelic choirs, a bass throb providing the song’s heft. The title track? Its gentle touch, hypnotic use of vocal samples and skittering percussion bring back memories of Carl Craig’s Mind mix of Maurizio’s “Domina,” conjuring the same eyes-to-the-sky aura of that sublime classic—but “All My Dreams” is a far more fleshed affair, with a melody that would warm the coldest of stone-cold hearts.
Those rich, goosebump-raising melodies work that kind of magic throughout the EP. “Play Infinite” features a four-chord structure that’s almost buried beneath the deluge of heavenly synths washes, but it’s enough to infuse the track with emotion to spare. The killer woodblock snare and Detroit-esque bassline don’t hurt—and is that a sax in there? The fluttering “Thinking Too Loud” might be the trio’s take on piano-drenched Italo-house, soaring glissandos weaving in and out of the mix. (Those bird samples might add a little too much ’90s realness, but we’ll let it slide.) The throbbing “Noah’s Ark” might be the toughest tune of the bunch—it’s got a touch of menace about it—but even here, a sublime melody and inventive arrangement give the number a floating feel that runs throughout the release. Really, you don’t need to employ any old-school references to enjoy these serotonin-rush tracks—though they might be a bit too lush for some, they’re rewarding, and quite beautiful, on their own. But then again, if you happen to be a DJ with access to a time machine, you might want to give All My Dreams a go at your next early-’90s forest-glen rave.