Both the original and the Paavo mixes of this beautiful work are available to stream in full as of today.
Surprise release everyone! And what a surprise it was. With absolutely no promotion or anticipation whatsoever, the clock hit midnight today and a very special release saw the public eye. It might have caught your attention back when Paavo Siljamäki — P.O.S — launched his debut solo album Deeper Tales that there was a song in there titled ‘It’s Me (P.O.S Mix)‘. On the day of release, Anjuna-based legend Spencer Brown also commented on socials Paavo’s album contained some of their collaborations, including Siljamäki’s take on their “still unreleased” track ‘It’s Me‘.
So, let’s summarise: There’s a track, called ‘It’s Me’, that is a collaboration between P.O.S and Spencer Brown, features vocals from Marieme, and the original is still a mystery, since we do have Paavo’s remix out on his album. Well, mystery is no more: the track has just come out. Or rather, the tracks.
‘It’s Me (feat. Marieme)’
The result of a friendship stretched through time, this song sees both masterminds Paavo and Spencer team up for a very sensitive and delicate piece. Senegalese-American singer-songwriter Marieme Diop joins as the vocalist, to deliver a powerful compliment of all elements present, and ultimately, a double release which contains the original track, plus Paavo’s lonely take, as presented on his latest LP.
Original Mix
A deeper track that soundwise — and unlike most collaborations — splits both artist’s contributions equally, the original take on ‘It’s Me’ gives a lot of starring to Marieme’s vocals, sitting them upfront and over a bed of soft kick-bass pairing and delicate mid-frequency textures, accompanied by Paavo’s soothing piano interventions.
The percussion on this one is quite reminiscent of Spencer’s older tracks, carrying you back to the Embarcadero EP, for example. It’s also the jumpy, groovy bassline that catches your attention as another element borrowed via a time capsule. Overall, it’s a lovely track to be played in the middle of a calmer set, I can picture it as a set played in nature, in a forest, pairing with the calm attitude this track depicts.
P.O.S Mix
Paavo’s version, although not a surprise since we’ve had a chance to listen to it since the album release almost a month ago, sends you through a whole different journey. The bassline becomes much more Paavo-esque on this one, dirtying things up a bit from the original. Gated vocal chops become a welcome signature Trance addition, and speaking about vocals, even though they are as upfront as they are on the original track, this take also brings more elements to the same space, making of it much more uplifting overall.
In true Paavo fashion, the way this version was engineered is bound to make you feel moved at some point, were it the start of the vocal lines, the break, the heavily tense melodic buildup, or the release. There’s something that he knows how to do so well he’s aced it in many many tracks across his discography, and that is driving you to the edge of tears with tense buildups, making use of opening plucks to wide saw waves, always paired with his unique piano accents.
Enough talking, it’s time for you to listen! Head below for your daily Spotify play, click here to fly to YouTube, or click here to support ‘It’s Me’ any way you’d like.