Whither

Shingo Nakamura has been an unstoppable force in progressive house and trance this past year, with numerous acclaimed and top-supported releases, including his recent "Only Silk 01" compilation. We witnessed a more driving, trance-influenced style from Shingo on his last contribution to Silk Royal: his anthemic remix of Dan and Sam's "Breaking The Illusion." On this release, Shingo returns to "vintage" progressive house form with "Whither," a jubilant cut that showcases all of Shingo's signature sounds. The Original Mix begins with a gentle house beat, as a fluttering lead chord progression is slowly filtered into the mix. At the quarter turn, the beat makes way for a new lead progression, which is equally hopeful and uplifting. Finally, we are met by a quintessentially moving piano riff by Shingo, which is coupled with a female vocal sample that evocatively enunciates the word "traveling." In the main break, the ethereal lead synth soars above the deeply resonant bass, creating a truly euphonious soundscape. On remix duty, American star Shawn Mitiska returns to Silk Royal with a clubby and truly euphoric take. Coming off his recent "Give Me A Sound" album launch (as part of Cerf, Mitiska and Jaren), Shawn has wasted no time re-asserting himself as one of the top solo acts in progressive, most recently, with the Enhanced hit "Salt." His interpretation of "Whither" has a true dancefloor sensibility from the start, as it kicks off with a bouncy rhythm and jubilant groove. A gorgeous lead chord progression emerges early, which is punctuated by the beautiful vocal sample from the original mix. In the main break, an anthemic piano lead appears -- a truly stunning variation on the original lead theme. The powerful drop to follow proves that Shawn's extensive experience as a DJ has informed his production skills immensely.