Dee Montero ft. Cari Golden - Light In The Dark (Futurescope)

We all need positivity in these dark times, and who could be better to deliver that message than one of the standout voices of house music Cari Golden. Her delivery on most everything she does is faultless, and ‘Light In The Dark’ is no exception. Her range and tone is inexplicably beautiful, each vocal she delivers a little piece of art.

Ireland’s Dee Montero is the artist behind releases on Diynamic, All Day I Dream, Anjunadeep and Knee Deep In Sound is progressing his own sound with his own label Futurescope.

‘Light In The Dark’ is a shimmering slice of vocal, pop-house, perhaps influenced by Dee’s Balearic experience as Café Mambo resident or his own life journey of recent years.

It’s wonderfully accessible, beautifully crafted and buoyant with emotion. Not only is the song steeped in honesty and creativity, it’s a masterclass in production. The bass is big and round, the synths are melodic but not overpowering, there are lush pads and kalimba and classy tribal drums. There’s so much in there, but it’s balanced and driving, impeccably mixed and mature beyond most everything else you hear.

But all said and done ‘Light In The Dark’ is all about the song, it’s uplifting and catchy, it’s wonderfully arranged and delivered in a sublime partnership of Dee Montero’s instrumentation and Cari Golden’s sonorous vocal.

Audiojack delivers a more up-tempo remix with a rolling bassline and M1 piano riff in the break. Despite being a fan of Audiojack’s productions they do this release no favours with this remix which lacks the depth of production and emotion in the original.

The instrumental is not necessary here either, not quite working without the vocal and not being reworked in any way apart from the vocal being removed. However, the ‘Beatless Mix’ is an absolute gem, highlighting both the vocal and the superb instrumentation. This is the sound of a sunset and the water lapping at your toes, being grateful for what you have and celebrating the artists we have in our lives producing music in a masterful fashion, and vocalists who can change your mood by pouring their own soul into their songs.