After hugely impressive opening salvos from the John Graham's Quivver, and remixes from Cid Inc, DNYO and Kassey Voorn. Kieran Krohn, under his Verve production moniker, takes up the mantle with Adam Antine on the FutureForm's third outing as "Red Ball of Dawn" fires up with remixes from the northern and southern hemispheres.



Since 2008, Verve has been hitting the underground EDM headlines with increasing regularity with an impressive array of tracks signed to Stereo Paradise, Lowbit and Mesmeric. Krohn's relationship with the Particles imprint has also blossomed in the last eighteen months with the original track "Fusion" receiving high-profile remixes from Inkfish and Danny Bonnici. Developing a number of co-production partnerships with the likes of Sonic Union and InSilico, Kieran now pairs his Verve moniker with Russian, Ruslan Fomichev and his Adam Antine alter ego. Evolving his craft into a "dark progressive and techno" sound since 2007, work signed to Balkan Connection, Baroque and Nueva have amply illustrated a man who has a wealth of talents at his disposal.



Original and Dub mixes form the first half of the "Red Ball of Dawn" package and both positively fizz with percussive dynamism, juxtaposed against a deep, dark and rolling bass line. A series of emotive melodies mark the Original Mix apart from its Dub counterpart as piano chops lacerate the top end with reverb soaked glory as a series of distorted melodic stabs add further layers of sheen. The Dub by contrast cuts a darker path with its pulsing vocal pads and bass line providing the basis for a deep percussive groove to sit atop. Glorious works both.



Under the Funkform pseudonym, Australian Maddy Hughes has become a staple artist on Open Records since 2011. Taking "influences from across the whole gamut of...house and techno" has resulted in a "deep, sophisticated and groove-oriented" sound. Such a sound has already resulted in the "Pressure System/Fuscia" EP for Vapour in early 2013. Support from the global DJ elite has seen the Funkform's stock rise and his remix of "Red Ball of Dawn" is a seething, languid affair driven by a deep percussive groove melded against a pounding kick and regular ticking hi-hats. As melodic elements from the original filter into the listener's consciousness amid a wash of ethereal pads, the Futureform skill set is in full evidence.



Canadian Tim Penner needs little introduction to the current underground music scene. With a decade's experience in the music industry his ability to "blend ideas, twist sounds and manipulate frequencies" has resulted in a sought after sound that has graced the finest modern imprints including Stripped, Proton and his own Konstrukt imprint formed with Brazilian, DNYO. With a maxim of "innovate rather than imitate", Penner's remix of "Red Ball of Dawn" opens with echoes of the original bass line, rising and falling with liquid ease. Before a long a huge pumping percussive groove, fuelled by rapid-fire shakers is paired buy a thick atmosphere of sound effects, grinding, creaking and exploding across the stereo spectrum. As the track reach its zenith, a beautiful melodic component weaves a path effortlessly to the foreground before folding back on itself, dropping back in to the deep infectious groove. A masterpiece of production trickery and technique.



Two remixes from Funkform and Tim Penner combined with two sublime original works have ensured that Verve and Adam Antine's "Red Ball of Dawn" is sure to light up the horizon for many moons.

