Chris Zag – Melodic Horizon (Thanasis Sgouros Remix)

Chris Zag – Melodic Horizon (Incl. Thanasis Sgouros Remix)

The latest release from Nikko.Z’s Dopamine White welcomes Chris Zag back to the label for his first single. Operating as the labels A&R since its inception, Greek artist Chris Zag has been a fixture of the progressive house scene for the better part of a decade. A remix of ‘Remain Strong’ by Simos Tagias in 2016 marked Chris’ first official release and it did not go unnoticed, receiving live play from Armin Van Buuren at A State of Trance 750 in Utrecht, Netherlands. 2017 then yielded a well received remix for Dopamine boss Nikko.Z via Tash’s Movement Recordings, before ultimately returning to Dopamine with a remix of Cream’s ‘Illusion’ in 2020. Now, presenting his first ever original production, Chris returns to Dopamine White with ‘Melodic Horizon’, alongside a remix from Thanasis Sgouros.

Getting the release underway with the original mix, Chris marries rolling grooves with buoyant rhythms and inviting electronics. Sleek and refined throughout, it’s an array of arpeggiated sequences and hopeful pads which elevates mood across the first act, as shimmering effects and clattering percussive arrangements provide a bridge into the main break. Balmy atmospheres rise across the interlude, creating moments of anticipation and bliss, as an eventual zenith is reached with clustered melodies and hazy harmonics spearheading an uplifting finale.

The release concludes with Thanasis Sgouros making his label debut with the lone interpretation of ‘Melodic Horizon’. With over three decades in the electronic music industry, Greek artist Thanasis Sgouros began his career as a radio producer before transitioning into DJing and producing. Highly regarded in his home country, Thanasis holds residencies at Wish Club and Transistor, while his progressive house productions have found a home on Smart Phenomena and Kimbo Records. Now, presenting his first production of 2023, Thanasis Sgouros debuts on Dopamine White with a clubbier take on ‘Melodic Horizon’. Drawing inspiration from the original, Thanasis layers heady effects and arcane electronics atop punchy beats and driving grooves. The primary themes prove to be mysterious and thought-provoking across the first movement, before tastefully melting down to a darker narrative during a one-minute interlude, as a mystical final act puts a cap on this creative gem.

Dopamine White