Ted Alexander was raised in both New York and London in his childhood, exposing his musical palette to a diverse array of soundscapes and influences, now Alexander has taken the step into producing, which has led to releases for the likes of Life & Death, Mood Music and now Stem here. Stem Records was launched in late 2012, and although only three releases deep, has already garnered support from the likes of Jennifer Cardini, Mr. G, Deep Space Orchestra, Neville Watson and Cosmin TRG to name a few. The single opens with the original version of title track 'XXX', a brooding, mood-driven cut, employing dark and eerie synth tones, shuffling drum programming and dubbed out vocal lines. Alexander introduces an amalgamation of raw synth stabs and evolving chord progressions to the focal point of the track to create a blossoming dynamic full of unique and subtle intricacies. Visionquest's Ultrasone steps up to remix 'XXX' next, reshaping things with an natural feel, achieved through stripped, organic percussion, warm piano tones and boomy sub-bass hits, creating a classy, contrasting interpretation. Entering the B-Side of the release we have, 'Love Walls', Alexander drops the tempo slightly and opts for simplistic 4/4 drums, allowing the melodic elements to take control, as ethereal, atmospheric synths, gritty saw-wave bass hits and heavily processed vocal snippets compliment one another and build a profound depth to the record. Lastly to close things, Philip Priebe reworks 'Love Walls', again creating a brilliantly unique remix, keeping things understated and intelligently crafted with raw acidic bass licks, classic 909 drums, dreamy pads and jazzy pianos.
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