All Photos provided by Cristina Soto
If you’ve been around the electronic music scene for a while, chances are you know and love Tritonal’s iconic song, “Still With Me.” The track was written with Cristina Soto– the original vocalist for the duo–and has solidified a spot in nearly everyone’s heart. It truly has stood the test of time and become nostalgic for the genre. We’ve heard it played at countless live shows and festivals over the years and heard its many remixes. Cristina Soto mixed the iconic song she co-wrote with Tritonal, “Still With Me.” Coming up on the 10 year anniversary of the song’s initial debut, Soto chose to create an acoustic indie-rock recording that is largely based on the Seven Lions’ remix. This stripped-down and simplified version captures much of the original song’s spirit. Hauntingly beautiful and raw, the acoustic version features Soto’s brother (Rob Soto) playing the guitar, which makes the project even more special.
Chad from Tritonal recalls creating “Still With Me” in 2011 with an exclusive quote to Festival Squad:
“Before writing this record, Cristina had informed us that she was considering moving out of the country, and it put a heaviness on our hearts. When we all sat down in my apt to begin writing “Still With Me”, the question I wanted Cristina to ask herself was, if this is the last song we ever write together, what would we want to say? About 3 days later she showed back up gleeful, with almost all of it written.” -Chad
Be Still With Me
Soto is no stranger to making crowds swoon. During her career, she’s worked with Illenium, Said The Sky, CloZee, and Psymbionic, just to name a few. The original song is dreamy and melodic, with Soto’s ethereal voice highlighted by gorgeous sweeping chords and simple synthesizers. While a quieter track, it still elicits powerful emotions and encourages the listener to “Slow down / let me be still with you / still with me.” Personally I love bass and dubstep, but absolutely live for moments when artists intentionally slow their set down; it allows for a beautiful respite where the crowd can tap into the emotional/melodic parts of themselves. “Still With Me” has been that gorgeous and euphoric moment for me countless times.
My favorite remix is the Seven Lion’s remix, which masterfully preserves the powerful melodic force, all the while adding more texture by layering in small wubs and dubs. Soto’s vocals still take center stage and are amplified by his infusion of Melodic Trance that he does so well. I attended The Alchemy Tour last fall and was overjoyed when he played it, especially as I hadn’t heard it in so long and had forgotten about it. “Still With Me” created a beautiful moment of stillness during his intense set. I remember hearing the opening notes and it stopped me dead in my tracks, giving me goosebumps. I teared up to be completely honest– I know you know the feeling!
Thank you, Cristina, Chad, and Dave, for creating a dreamy and iconic song that will forever hit me in the feels when I hear it live. And an extra thank you to Cristina for reinvigorating this track and giving it new life. Be sure to listen to Soto’s acoustic version!