Tumelo: Valley Of Love ( Cuebur Remoix)
Soulistic Music
6/10
Growing up I was a hip hop totalitarian, I despised electronic music simply because I couldn’t understand why anyone would create music that does not have words. It baffled me how people could enjoy this type of music, the fact that there were individuals out there creating electronic perplexed me even further. During that fabled time many moons ago, I listened to a hop hip group called Optical Illusion, it consisted of four members one of which this particular review is about.
When Tumelo, now with Soulistic records changed genres from hip hop to house, the South African market was taken aback, especially me. Tumelo would not be rapping on these dance tracks but instead he emerged as a well seasoned vocalist. Having worked with the likes ofBlack Coffee, his debut Solo album was nominated for a SAMA award and he shot to house music stardom. Tumelo’s career was reborn like a phoenix out of the ashes, it seems we had both made the transition to dance music, his transition for more extreme than my own.
A single taken off Tumelo’s album now features a Cuebur remix "Valley of Love" is packed with a heavy drum lines, piano keys and harmonic melodies that add to the track’s romantic theme. Cuebur is one of the rising stars of our local scene. Fresh of the release of his track on Defected Records which featured anAndre Lodemannremix, he manages to add a depth to this remix that was lacking in the original. At times produces tend to fill open spaces in track with clichéd instruments and ideas however Cuebur manages to fill the void in his tracks with elements that lend to the song and make it better. In the way of remixes Cuebur has done an excellent job, Tumelo’s vocals give the track a definite edge. The song writing could be a lot better with the addition some variation between verses and lyrics. All in all a good track in the standards of afro house but it won’t linger on in your memories as a classic.