Don Laka - Stages / I Wanna Be Myself (w/ Prins Thomas & Gerd Janson Edits) [Running Back Super Sound Singles]

Format: 12" in printed sleeve.
CAT: RBSSS12

Some tracks don't need fixing. They just need a bit more room.

South African composer and keyboard virtuoso Don Laka has quietly resided in many DJs' record bags for years, especially among those who enjoy warm, slightly mysterious, and timeless synth-driven music. Somewhere between jazz-funk, township pulse, and studio electronics, though it always sounded entirely his own.

"Stages" was an obvious candidate for an extension. Here, Prins Thomas does what he does best: he opens up the arrangement, lets the synth lines breathe, and stretches the groove until it seems to float a little higher off the ground. Nothing forced, nothing added just for the sake of adding. Simply more of something that was already very good.

"I Wanna Be Myself" receives a subtle tweak from Gerd Janson. The idea was simple: to preserve the track's personality and offer DJs a version that would fit naturally into a modern set without losing the original's charm. It's still the same song, just standing a little taller now.

And because origin matters, the original version of "Stages" is also included here. It's always good to remember where the magic began.

Three versions, no drama. Just solid music that already knew perfectly well what it was doing.