Maps Shares GLOK (Andy Bell) Remix Of 'Witchy Feel'

Maps - aka James Chapman - has shared a remix from GLOK (aka Ride's Andy Bell) ahead of the release of Counter Melodies, his fastest, most intensely euphoric album yet that is due out February 10th, 2023 on Mute,

Chapman describes the remix of the opening track of his forthcoming fifth album as "... wonderfully hypnotizing and hugely danceable..." going on to say, "The reverbed, ethereal synth parts at the beginning give way to a HUGE groove when the drums come in. The deep, boomy kick and the tight snare drum, combined with the unfolding, weaving movement of the percussion and the playful, skipping hi-hats create a constant and infectious feeling of joy and uplifting vibes. I absolutely love what Andy has done with this remix."

Maps has already shared the first five tracks to his fifth studio album release, these include first single "Heya Yaha." From the opening chiming bell of "Witchy Feel", the first five tracks frame the album with a nod towards club music that was never fully evident before. "My early days of soaking up club culture obviously stayed with me," says Chapman.

Initial ideas for Counter Melodies began to form in the wake of Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss. Chapman chose not to tour the album beyond a few shows, instead he found himself DJing a lot towards the end of 2019 "I was enjoying making my own tracks and playing them in my DJ sets," he says. "It's like a comedian trying out new material. I really liked the idea of tracks flowing into one another, like a continuous DJ set. As soon as that idea was in my head, I just worked really hard to make it happen."

While Counter Melodies sounds totally unique in the Maps catalog, there is something about its presentation and tonality that makes it instantly recognisable as Maps. What Chapman has achieved with Counter Melodies is a new adventure through the familiar emotional terrain of the Maps sound, while also transporting you to more resolutely optimistic and hopeful places.

Photo credit: Steve Gullick