Ronald Hage’s song ‘Don’t Wanna Lose This’ is a well-produced piece of melodic house and progressive house music which achieves its success because of the way it combines atmosphere, melody and an energetic progression suitable for the dance floor. Rather than relying entirely on a strong drop, Hage takes his time in building up the track, drawing on elements from Melodic Techno, Progressive House and Trance to create an engaging electronic experience that gradually builds to a powerful climax. The production displays a clear aim, with memorable melodic phrases giving the track an emotional centre and the rhythmic foundation making sure that it remains in the present day realm of electronic music.
Hage, who is headquartered in The Hague in the Netherlands, has attained a considerable degree of independence in his work, since his 19th release, ‘Don’t Wanna Lose This’, follows on from the period when he has been putting out music every four to six weeks for the past eighteen months. Even though his influences include progressive house artists such as Korolova, Miss Monique and Youna, his approach is still very personal. One rather interesting aspect of the way he works is that it begins away from the computer, involving Hage developing melodic ideas on an acoustic piano before transferring them to his digital audio workstation; he then carefully adds the drums, the synthesizers and further textures to the arrangement. The fact that he works entirely from his home studio and deliberately does not use AI or auto-arrangement software ensures that the production remains hands-on and is based on genuine musical craftsmanship.
The success of “Don’t Wanna Lose This” lies in the sense of progression it exhibits. Rather than focusing solely on reaching a climax, the song takes into account the fact that melodic electronic music is generally more concerned with building up anticipation than with delivering a peak, and Hage allows the different elements to develop spontaneously before bringing them all together in a vivid final section. The result is a modern dance track that can be enjoyed on the floor and at the same time provides listeners with a melodic and atmospheric aspect to relate to. Because he has an increasing number of recordings and uses a careful approach when producing and releasing his new music, Ronald Hage is still working towards developing a sound that is both emotionally driven and appropriate for the dancefloor.
Got them. I’ll use these as the official web links for 50mething in the review:
About the Author
English