Bell Boys: Garrett David & Adam Rowe

Although I’ve already written a fair bit about why I love the Bells Boys’ mix of “Stella Maris” by Ka§par, being offered an exclusive download of the track is enough to bring me back to the keyboard. The Bell Boys are a Chicago-based duo consisting of Garrett David and Adam Rowe, both of whom work at the Windy City’s historic Gramaphone Records and have long been involved with Stripped & Chewed (Garrett released his solo EP with the label last year, while Adam designs the label’s artwork). Under the Bells Boys guise, the pair channel their love for joyous, cheesy 90s house music into intensely focused and smartly conceived dispatches that are often colorful, romantic, and thoroughly memorable. Such is the case with their “Stella Maris” remix, whose scuffed, methodical drums and ostinato synth leads are set against a backdrop of swooning pads and jiggling organ chords. It’s a sound Garrett and Adam explored more thoroughly on their Hotel Garma EP for Discovery Records, but the genesis of their aesthetic is what sticks with me the most (earning the #6 slot in my top 30 singles list). And now, thanks to the boys and Stripped & Chewed, it can stick with you, too.

Download: Ka§par, “Stella Maris” (Bell Boys Mix)

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