2011 marks the 10 year anniversary of the release of a track that to this day is one of the defining records of house. Kings of Tomorrow’s ‘Finally’ is one of those records that pretty much everyone knows, whether you usually spend your weekend deeply buried or dancefloor or not; you don’t have to live house music to love it, but it probably helps.
Often imitated but never bettered, Finally has become a benchmark for uplifting, vocal house records and remains one of the few remaining true classics within the genre. Now, after a decade of raising arms and voices alike, it’s back with a handful of carefully selected remixes for 2011.
Remixing a track that is as closely associated with a scene as ‘Finally’ is to house music is always going to a tricky business, but all involved have done a sterling job on treating this with respect it deserves. We caught up with three of the remixers involved - East & Young and Simon Mattson - to get their thoughts on the project.
How did it feel to be asked to remix one of the great house anthems of the last decade?
Simon Mattson: It’s far more than dream come true... I couldn't believe when Sandy passed me this offer, especially as so many big names have been involved with this classic track over the years. It’s timeless and it always will be. I’m very excited about this release so big thanks to Sandy and Defected crew.
East & Young: It was huge for us! This track is an anthem for many so it was important for us to get it right. What added to the pressure was that this track is what got one of us into dance music in the first place!
How did you approach the remix? The track is obviously very well known - was it a struggle to do something new that still kept the feel of the original?
SM: Of course it’s not easy to rework such a classic, as people tend to expect something bigger and better. What I did was to combine new organic house elements with the original classic vibe of the vocal. Julie is amazing – I absolutely love her voice and the history behind the words, it’s something really special.
E&Y: When we do a remix, we always try to combine the best of the original with our own influences and ideas. That's why it was clear that Julie's vocal was a massive strong point and our starting point.
Our biggest challenge was making the track – that originally is quite laid-back – into a big room banger! We are very pleased with the overall results and we hope that other people feel the same way!
Simon, bearing in mind that Finally is the track he is probably best known for, what was it like to work with Sandy on your collaborative remix?
SM: I’m really grateful that Sandy has started to look after me by including me on his projects, to the point that it’s hard to put it into words. So many good things happened to me because of him. I’m also really happy and pleased to have had the chance to work with him at his studio, as it was a fantastic experience. It’s totally different from working alone as Sandy uses a lot of hardware, external compressors and external effects which is completely new for me. There are a lot of toys to go crazy with!
Finally - The 10th Anniversary Remixes are out now
