Motionless is Maher Daniel’s first step into the world of being a record label owner and a confident step at that. The EP, which is actually a prelude to a forthcoming album, marks the opening of The Other Side—a new project from the California-based musician, who has been involved in many other endeavors (working with the No. 19 Music or serving as resident for Montreal’s Stereo Club), and now has one to call his own.

The two-tracker features two versions of the same cut; first up, the original—Daniel’s first new solo material for several years. Consolidating on his most recent output with All Day I Dream, he provides a purposeful roller. Tune it at different points and you’ll find a different production. The opening half of the tune feels serious, busy with tension-building electro noises and an undulating bassline; the latter, on the other hand, is all about its sentimental vocal section, complete with hands-in-the-air breakdowns. It will more than likely rouse dancefloors across the world, though out of that context it feels slightly artificial.

The flipside is a remix by Mandar (the alias of Lazare Hoche, Malin Genie and Samuel André Madsen), which holds little resemblance to the original. Doing what they do best, the trio revamp the track and inject it with clarity. It’s a simple recipe—skippy percussion, chopped up vocals and warm pads. By taking things back to basics, they fuse together a classic slice of grooving house that suggests a great deal of promise from the fledgling label.

Motionless is out now. Buy it at Decks.de.

Tracklisting:

A. Motionless
B. Motionless (Mandar Remix)