In some cultures – admittedly not many – eighteen is a magic number that is cherished and de-sired and can lead to untold wealth, happiness and riches. Now we’re not offering that as a guar-antee for release number eighteen, but you should definitely bear it in mind if you’re thinking of buying another label’s, say, tenth release, instead of our frankly far superior eighteenth.

Not only that, but we think our eighteenth release is actually pretty special irrespective of the good fortune that its catalogue number may bestow upon you. The original was produced by Heideton honchos, Joe Metzenmacher and Borka (and his ever-present gang) and came out re-cently on the excellent Dots & Pearls compilation via Frankfurt’s Cocoon. The original is a pitch-perfect mix of yearning Detroit strings and melancholy chords, aided by some typically European propulsion; it would’ve made Octave One proud.

Born in Berlin in 1985, Joe Metzenmacher's family fled to Walsrode, Heideton’s homebase, before the wall came down. He went on a personal journey of discovery back to Berlin several years ago, spending many an evening (and morning) in the Panorama Bar, the inspiration for previous single, ‘What’s The Secret Word For Tonight’, but has returned back to Walsrode to build the Heideton empire alongside cohort Borka & The Gang. Borka, born and raised in Russia, made his music-making debut in 2013 on Oliver Koletzki’s Light My Fire with the EP Try. Subsequent to that he’s released a series of productions that cover a vast array of bases, from the spiritual Rain on Disco Balls to the abstract, yet punchy, breaks-led Heidefunk on Heideton. The pair combined perfectly with ‘Magic Talk’, says Joe of the original, “Understand who you are, see who is around you, feel the moment and move in the here and now with your surroundings.” Inargua-ble, whichever way you view it.

Unsurprisingly, this remix package comes with a Detroit-imbued thread running through it. Tuff City Kids, the German pairing of Gerd Janson and Lauer, incorporate Detroit influences alongside add some European know-how without losing the central theme of the track, adding some seri-ous punch to its under-carriage. Joe and Borka again combine for a sensitively handled edit that adds some early 1990s rave action to the motorik feel of their brilliant original. We finish off the package with another Detroit associate, Mark Flash, offering the driving yet equally musical US Club Dub and a further delight for our closer inspection, Detroit De Janeiro Club Dub, again bring-ing the Motor City flavour, this time via the beaches of Brazil’s largest city.

As Cameo’s Larry Blackmon used to say about his codpiece: that is one lovely package. Not only that, but don’t forget: eighteen, lucky for some (definitely you).

Written by Bill Brewster