Richard Durand – Reactivate

While unmixed, in both approach and structure, ‘Reactivate’ is probably Richard’s most ‘music-compilation-like’ LP to date. As such, its earlier moments are largely given over to tracks with a song-based bias. Featuring the never-less-than reflective words of Christian Burns, the touching vocal refrains of his most recent single, ‘Almost Home’ opens the album. That transitions perfectly into the harmonically affecting mid-paced space of ‘It’s Not Too Late’, adding to the album’s early sense of bitter-sweetness.

As with Christian, the album has presented Richard with the opportunity to re-collaborate with Christina Novelli. Emotionally, ‘My Guiding Light’ generates the uplift, while ‘Made Of Stone’ that follows it – and features singer-songwriter Sarah De Warren – adds lyrical resolve. With the inclusion of his recent debut team-up with HALIENE (on the Beatport #1 ‘Give Your Heart A Home’), ‘Reactivate’s needle begins to swing and the album increases its instrumental presence with the ethereally natured ‘Tales Of A Silhouette’.

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“This, said Richard, is an LP born out of hope. Every clubber has either had, or is going to get that moment when belief turning to reality. I had mine at Dreamstate back in November of 2021. Unlocking some of the tracks from this album there for the first time was about as uplifting and belief-bringing moment as I had last year. It finally allowed me to see, not where we’ve been, but where we’re going. The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, and growing brighter all the time.”
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The waves parted by its vocal numbers, the album moves into its singularly club-aimed phase. At its midpoint, Richard salts that glass with a couple of fresh-out-the-box Durand remixes. Signum’s ‘Beyond This Earth’ gets an epically string-strung treatment while ‘That Girl’ from D72 & O.B.M Notion pulses with renewed energy and is awash with pad & chord bliss.

Toughening ‘Reactivate’s stance further still and hitting ‘peak-of-set’ type moments, across its concluding five tracks, Durand ensures the rubber hits the road hard. ‘Walk With Me’ fringes on tech-trance, while the running rhythms and 303 thrust of ‘Off The Grid’ adds a scything Psy element to the album. ‘Tree Of Life’s allows a final glimmer of harmonic emotion, before ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Hexyl’ close it out in the most aerodynamic of manners.

Across its span, a tonally positive metaphor for the clubbing road ahead, ‘Reactivate’s route-map is released on January 28 and is pre-orderable now through this link (https://blackhole.lnk.to/Reactivate).

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Richard Durand – ‘Reactivate’ Tracklist

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01. Almost Home (with Christian Burns)
02. It’s Not Too Late
03. My Guiding Light (with Christina Novelli)
04. White Dolphins
05. Made of Stone (with Sarah De Warren)
06. Give Your Heart A Home (with HALIENE)
07. Tales Of A Silhouette
08. D72 & O.B.M Notion & That Girl – In My Heart (Richard Durand Remix)
09. Signum – Beyond This Earth (Richard Durand Remix)
10. I Matter To You (with Susana)
11. Walk With Me
12. Off The Grid
13. Tree Of Life
14. Ultimate
15. Hexyl