TBM DJ - The EP

Genre: Italo
Label: ARC Records
Type of media: CD-R
Bought at: http://www.arcrecords.at/Webshop/
Reviewed by: Christopher von Würden
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


TBM DJ – The EP is the first actual independent release from Charlier Ludovic better known as TBM DJ or Dancephonic. It all started back in 2005 when TBM DJ sent a promo to ARC-Records, the promo was never released but the Belgian producer was immediately signed as remixer and since then he has made a vast number of remixes of different ARC-Records producers. This EP is a compilation consisting of these mixes from his first of DJ The Bass to his latest of Amanii.

Track list:
01. Fabrizio E Marco – Call it love (TBM DJ Extended)
02. DJ The Bass – The summer is coming (TBM DJ Extended)
03. Level 4 meets DJ Deamon – Still loving you (TBM DJ Extended)
04. Fantasy Project – Like a fool (TBM DJ Extended)
05. DJ Kajjin feat. Mimi – Take my hand (TBM DJ Extended)
06. Sun Kidz feat. Destiny – Wake up (TBM DJ Extended)
07. DJ Torny feat. Marco – Now until forever(TBM DJ Extended)
08. Amanii – Hurry up (TBM DJ Extended)
09. Masterbeat – Fading away (TBM DJ Extended)
10. Leonard T. feat. Maia Lee – Go! (TBM DJ Extended)
11. Dancefire – Star (TBM DJ Extended)
12. DJ The Bass – I had a dream (TBM DJ Extended)

For those who do not know his style, it can best be described as italo with the tempo of hard dance/hands up.
The EP begins with a remix of Fabrizio E Marco from 2007 in full tempo right from the beginning. Though there is not much difference in the style between each remix the synth differs a little from the rest and is actually one of the best remixes of "Call It Love" I have heard.
There are only 2 italo mixes of DJ The Bass – The Summer Is Coming whereas the TBM DJ Remix definitely is the most interesting also one of the best remixes on this EP.
The remix of Level 4 meets DJ Daemon - Still Loving You is actually the only italo remix on the single. The vocal is not the most interesting I have heard but TBM DJ does a decent job mixing it.
The Fantasy Project vocal is, on the other hand, great and “Like A Fool” is definitely one of their better singles. The TBM DJ remix does not make it much worse since the feeling and melody are great all the way through.
DJ Kajjin feat. Mimi – Take my hand is one of the actual italo singles from the list including italo mixes from various other artists, the TBM DJ is not the personal favorite on the single but a great remix still.
Sun Kidz feat. Destiny – Wake up is another typical TBM DJ remix. The bass in it actually reminds a lot of the one used by Domasi while the melody and buildup are all the same old.
DJ Torny feat. Marco – Now until forever has a great vocal (as usual by Marco!) and TBM DJ does a fine job remixing though he does not get the full potential out of the vocal, the Fabrizio e Marco version is preferable.
Amanii – Hurry up is the newest remix on the EP and actually differs a bit in the sound from past remixes since it sounds like an extra layer has been added to the melody which actually makes it sound fantastic. This might the best of his remixes so far.
Masterbeat – Fading away is also one of the most recent remixes from TBM this year and is another perfect example of how to do a great remix, especially the buildup to the synth is worth mentioning.
Leonard T. feat. Maia Lee – Go! is a little pared-down but great nonetheless. I can’t say that I agree in the song’s theme but it is definitely danceable though the buildup is a little simpler than recent remixes!
Rumors say that Dancefire should be ready with a new single soon but as long as it is unreleased you can still enjoy their single "Star" which features a lot of great italo mixes including the TBM DJ remix of course. Considering the remix package TBM DJ might not look the most interesting but it’s worth checking out nonetheless. Compared to the other mixes on this EP it’s not the most interesting though "Star" is a great track.
Lastly is his first remix ever. It’s a lot simpler in the buildup compared to recent mixes but you understand why ARC Records took TBM DJ under their wings when you listen to it. This is a bit uninteresting considering his latest remixes though.

All in all I must say that I am very impressed by this first release with music produced by Charlier Ludovic only. All tracks are in the same musical style and are nothing new for those who already know TBM DJ but for those who loves his style it is a fantastic EP. It is funny to listen the very first remix and compare it to the latest you can easily hear the improvement. If I have to say something bad about it, it must be the little variation. All tracks remind too much of each other. Also, now Ludovic has proven himself worthy of having his own actual single released plenty of times if you ask me. A thing I miss a little. Even so this EP is great and for all italo lovers out there it is a definite must and actually a strong candidate to be the best release from ARC Records ever.