Shanahan – RIFTN [February 3 – Dubbed Records]

by JP Hadley · Published January 21, 2014 · Updated January 21, 2014

Here is a name I’m glad to see again! One of the first progressive house tracks I ever listened to was a collaboration between Jake Shanahan and Sebastien Lintz, in a track called “Passion”. This hit from 2011 was one of the first tracks that got me obsessed with dance music, and, well, I haven’t really looked back since then. Even though Mr. Lintz has taken a job at Revealed Recordings doing A&R work, its great to see Shanahan back in the production scene. His latest track, “RIFTN,” was picked up by a fellow Revealed alum by the name of JoeySuki, who signed the song to his Dubbed Records label after featuring the track as a “SukiLikes” selection.

One of the strongest assists of “Passion” was its melody, and I’m happy to say that Shanahan hasn’t lost that ability. The break has a mysterious feel to it, with this atmosphere created by two different layers of synths. Soon, this lead clears up, and a subtle bassline comes into play as the bridge progresses on. Next, the buildup begins, with the introduction of an almost Dirty Dutch vibe to it. After a few vocal samples, the drop hits, and hits HARD. A bouncy bassline is matched on the top line by some screaming synths, and this track is flying towards success on the radio waves and on the Beatport charts.