#chantola

Back and refreshed from his last release, the hugely popular "Don't You Know" (with Junior J), Chantola delivers another fine slice of house driven beats jacked up with a dose of progressive. "I Want You" also comes packed with a very impressive collection of remixes to suit any venue.

The Original Mix constructs a well balanced house groove with its thumpy kicks and crispy percussions giving good rhythm. A very cool bass rips through the track and is further enhanced with some very nifty synth work, the house vibes are ramped up to funky proportions with a great and catchy vocal sample which is coupled with real smooth guitar licks. One hell of a floorfiller on offer and one to watch for sure.

House producer Tero steps up for his first remix on Bonzai with a truly wonderful display of house beats with a sprinkling of deep funk thrown in. Tero has an impressive release count under his belt on labels like Club 86 Recordings and Bullbeat Recordings. From the off the vibe oozes with the pleasures of funky keys which soon build into full on house mode. Perfect drum arrangements give the track a cool bounce, the added vocal samples solidifies the sound while the bass works wonders on the rhythms. Awesome piano work gives this track an all round feel and makes it a must have in any box!

No Chantola release would be complete without the Johny S treatment. This is his sixth remix for Henrik and we can see why he keeps coming back for more. Johny's own tracks have been on labels like Club 86 Recordings, Bullbeat Recordings and 4 Play Trax to name a few. Here we get into a much more progressive vibe with a super tight arrangement on the drums and percussions. A very cool retro sounding synth does most of the work here as it draws you right into its groove while the deep bass keeps the rhythm flowing. Nice vocal samples come through and on the break the guitar and melodies transform the track before crashing back. Top notch prog house and sure to feature in many sets no doubt.

Another remix debut, this time from Finnish DJ and producer Jesse Suosalmi aka FunkyDee. Jesse too has seen releases on Club 86 and Bullbeat. If you're after a big floor tune then you've come to the right place. The smooth grooves of the original have been taken and ramped up into a party pumping house masterpiece. The funk has certainly been injected here and for those of us who like our music with an oldskool flair then be prepared for a trip that will have you throwing your hands in the air. Absolutely stunning remix and a cert to be featured many times on playlists all over!!

Episode 9 of the Afterhour Trax compilation series featuring original tracks and remixes by Manu Riga, Nico Parisi, Chantola, Gai Barone, Kintar, Matt G. & Booya, Relaunch, Kay-D, Airwave, DJ Fire, Van Bellen, Michael & Levan and Stiven Rivic, Matias Chilano, Neon, Moshic, Monojoke, Anton Chernikov, Franbeats, Santiago Garcia, Dark Soul Project, Matan Caspi, Rise And Fall, AquaDro, LoQuai, Steve McGrath, Chris Sterio, Yuriy From Russia, Frangellico, Midnight Star, Concealed Truth, Cut Knob, Hector Sawiak and Rue Duo.

Purveyor of the finest grooves, Chantola is back with another stunning cut, "Don't You Know". Henrik has been very buys in the studio with his own works, including a new studio album and plenty of remixes to keep him going for a while. This track comes with three superb remixes that will raise a few eyebrows for sure.

The Original Mix takes us on a sublime journey through progressive house, tight arrangements and a wonderfully subtle and rich bass that has a huge impact. Great vocal samples throughout keep the ear trained intently while a myriad of classy FX fill in the gaps. On the break a great synth drone takes over as chords weave their patterns through the sound before slamming back into this solid groover.

Argentinean producer Hector Sawiak returns to remix duties for Bonzai after his remix of Cut Knob's "Deep As We Like" appeared on Clubb Traxx "Progressive House 6". Hector also has a huge amount of releases on many other labels including Mystique Music and Stellar Fountain to name just a couple. The remix pumps up the groove big time with a super smooth rhythm built up with the nice chunky kicks and expertly crafted percussions. The bass flows beautifully and the understated synths work a treat, the vocal sample is well used and fit perfectly to round off a very cool track indeed.

Fresh from his last outing "Cough Drops" we have popular Bulgarian producer Thomas Genchev next up to the mixing desk. Easing the groove firmly into the realms of house while retaining a progressive undertone. Sweet kicks are accompanied by cool rhythmic percussions and a hypnotic bassline, the break brings is some great FX work and distant piano notes which add stark contrasts, top notch delivery yet again.

Jakhira has been very busy lately with remixes and his latest release "Heartstrings EP", also on Bonzai Progressive. Jakhira firmly beefs up the sound here with tougher edged take on the original. Multi layered basses provide the perfect platform for the outstanding synths on display, hints of melody creep in and mesmerise the mind and on the break the melodies burst through taking the track to a whole new level. Epic progressive house at its best and one to watch for sure.

Matan Caspi returns to BP after a few top class remixes like Mindgamers "Chasing The Sun" and Chantola's "Make It Happen" both of which faired very well on major download portals. Matan has had an amazing journey so far having worked with many top artists and DJ's, his tracks have been on numerous compilations which is a testament to the talent he has to offer, his track "So High" appeared on Bonzai's My House Is Your House Volume 6. Today we see his full BP debut with "Raid The Bar".

The Original Mix gets the floor shaking for the get go, superb chunky kicks get right under your skin and a huge deep bass rocks the foundations. Cool house stabs tease their way through and lush strings wait in the background. The track comes together brilliantly on the break with the synths becoming much more prominent before getting right back into this powerful groove for the duration, top quality stuff which is destined to feature heavily on many playlists this summer.

The ever dependable Zas & Sanze aka Mindgamers deliver the goods yet again with their superb remix. The guys have a real knack for getting the most out of a sound and this is no exception. From the start you are thrown right into a party atmosphere as the track pours out a strong, funky vibe. The bassline oozes funk and the synths etch out one hell of a cool groove. The break sends up a surreal melodic sequence which works so well with the big rising chords before powering back into a full on ass shaking groove.

Turning the track more toward the progressive scope is Henrik Kantola aka Chantola. Henrik has a very impressive repertoire and has worked with top artists, currently he is working on a new studio album which we hope to see very soon. We caught up with Henrik not too long ago for a quick Q&A so keep a lookout for that soon. The track intros with a deep progressive vibe, the kicks stand right out and a wonderfully deep bassline holds the sound up brilliantly. Sweeping pads do their work creating an ethereal atmosphere while cool FX work add texture. A real supercharged groove is built here and a wonderful contrast to the original which makes this a must for those late night sessions.

Belgian producer Adriaan Baussens aka Manu Riga is up next with his Deep Trip Remix. Adriaan is another one of those artists with an extremely heavy workload yet still churns out quality every time. He recently released his latest track "Reborn" which is a collab with fellow producer Nico Parisi and is currently working on other projects including an album. The remix is a super smooth journey deep into progressive vibes. The kicks pound the speakers delivering a shudder through your core while the bassline sits perfectly matched with a lush residue. Classy pads ease by and subtle synths provide a rich contrast, great stuff again from Adriaan!

Shimmer is back after his outing with LoQuai and their "Flying Fortress" track, a track that gained a lot of attention on major download portals with support from around the world. Here we see a monster release "Give Me" with a host of top quality remixes from some great producers.

The original mix is smooth ride through progressive house creating a relaxed atmosphere. Steady rhythms from the drums and percs with some real nice FX work. Bright melodic short synths build the mood with a wonderful chunky bassline underneath. Very hypnotic groove that locks you in for the duration.

First up on the remix is Chantola with his Give Me Techno Remix. Henrik transforms this tune beautifully with some quality techno elements, particularly in the kicks. Grungy acid blips formulate a great sound which becomes much more prominent on the break. Very well worked mix with huge appeal for many jocks.

Mylan takes us on one of his tech tours with his remix. Classic intro with kicks, hats and percussions building layer by layer. Groovy bassline adds a little bounce here and the FX work fits well. This track is a solid builder with teasing synths coming through on the break, top stuff.

Accatone takes things deeper with his Black Keys Remix. Staying true to the bassline as it bounces along we are treated to a masterclass indeed. Minimal percussions with a crisp hat and clap combi. The big focus of course are those keys, a wonderful display of deep house play that will stand up well in those late night rooms.

Concealed Truth return to BP with Cold Sun Ray Remix. Powerful progressive house at its finest with brilliantly subtle synth melodies and great FX. Nice and steady rhythm with another superb bassline will keep the bootys shakin to this. On the break the melodies are ramped up a notch and the vocal sample is the perfect addition along with the pads, very nice indeed.

Henrik is back with another round of his mellowed out progressive vibes on this two tracker "Days Go By". His last release "Another Day At The Dream Factory" done very well with support coming from many corners and top download stores featuring it heavily.

The title track intros with a nice thud on the kick and a warm pad sweeping through, subtle keys come in and the percussion starts to build up a cool flow on the rhythm. The strings gain slightly in intensity and the bassline adds a bouncy touch with some very cool pianos filling in the background. On the break we get an almost trancey feel with the synth chords ramping up the groove, very nice indeed.

"XTC" takes us deep into progressive vibes with a journey through a myriad of lush sounds, lots going on here and a perfect example of Henrik's technical ability to be able to marry all these sounds while keeping the structure on point. Deep prog bassline with many different melodic sequences blending beautifully over a tight drum and percussion section. Elements of both house and trance are evident yet still offering a unique style, very well crafted and a joy to listen to.

Based in Brazil and making his Bonzai debut we have Luckoni with his awesome progressive track "Cold Planet" backed up with two remixes from two very talented artists.

The original track gets right into the prog house vibe with super cool kicks and percs and a stunning bassline giving a steady groove. On the break the synths and FX work well with a vocal adding flavour to the sound, a really very well crafted track and destined for many playlists.

Progressive house maestro Chantola steps up to remix duty with his very own wonderful unique style. Henrik takes the very essence of house and weaves it into a magical journey through sound, stand out percussions accompany a nice thud on the kick giving a cool steady rhythm. Minimal yet highly effective synths sweep through and keeps the track moving, top stuff again!

Diego Alvez is up next with his remix, Diego is a deep house guru and here he adds his midas touch and we are not disappointed. A very cool rework on the original with a real deep feel to it, superb stabs and chords add a lot of texture and the layers keep building and building. The break is where it's at, big synth sound builds tension until the beats kick back in and the groove picks up again, just brilliant.