SOATS REMIXED

On the 9^th of December sees distinguished Spanish DJ, producer and Sincopat head-honcho AFFKT release the highly anticipated “Son of a Thousand Sounds / Remixed” album, compiling up to 19 exciting remixes, most of them already released in the past few months in diverse EP’s, but also including 3 unreleased and exciting ones, exclusive for the occasion (Brunetto, Mattia Pompeo and Elojet).

Praised for its genre-defying style, Valencia based artist AFKKT aka Marc Martinez Nadal’s sophomore album combined sounds from Dance, Electronic, Indie and more. With a formidable line-up of guests, including singer Sutja Gutierrez and producers Upercent and Piek. It was an album that exhibited his technical ability and further highlighted why he has been so in demand since his 2012 debut, ‘Punto 0’.  *Click here to listen to the original “Son of a Thousand Sounds” LP via Soundcloud*

Kicking off the original tracks is Dosem, who reworks “Someone In The Sky”, he delivers for our particular enjoying a classy club rework leaning shuffler with heady doses of a techy groove. A sure-fire floor-filler. Totally functional for jacking your body wherever you happen to be. Dosem is followed immediately by German duo Kruse & Nuernberg who create a sweet re-interpretation of an authentic A-bomb: “San Diego”. Even so, they keep the soul but we get another winner’s point of view. Remix duties on “Oxi” were counted on the eclectic and American producer Pezzner. He introduces a delicate and organic piece of electronica keeping the heart and soul of the original mix but adding new and astonishing layers of synths that blow your mind.

It is time now for Smash TV, Villanova and Danny Serrano. All of them reinventing “The Show”. The Berliner duo Smash TV -well known for their releases on Bpitch Control, Get Physical or Diynamic- keep the soul of the original track with a superb touch of analogue simplicity, on the other hand the new synth defiantly brings a new dimension to the track. French duos Villanova, meanwhile, go deeper and hypnotic, with an awesome cinematic rework. The bass takes you on a trip through the several layers, including more parts of Sutja Gutierrez’s voice. They have turned  “The Show” upside-down but understanding the original script. Danny Serrano surprises everyone with a disco-oriented and analogue cut. A must have!

On this fascinating journey we will find some sophisticated techno. Is the case from the shadowy Bristolian and Drumcode regular dubspeeka who turns in a thunderous rework “Flashcrash”. As a result: a deep mysterious groover riddled with body shaking synths and dark atmospheric touches. Working on the same title –“Flashcrash”- São Paulo-based Renato Cohen demonstrates once again his natural talent on the groove, utilising snippets of the original’s dynamic vocal layered with scratchy percussion loops.

A moment now for a true legend of electronic house music, who happens to be on a creative roll. A globally respected artist: Dave Seaman. The British reworks “Between Us”, turning the ethereal track into a driving-groover, harnessing the original’s gorgeous synth melodies and introducing darker tones and vocal snippets. Former Diynamic and Get Physical producers Audio Junkies deliver a top notch work for “Someone in the Sky”. An intricate tech-house experience, blending an eery lead synth with a solid groove and a hypnotic vocal on repeat. Kicking off “Esclafit” is Sicilian DJ/producer, Paul Ursin, turning the playful Electronic number into a sinister, deep-groover. Rising German upstart Habischman’s remix of “Dreamback” follows, adding silky vocals that perfectly compliment the steady four-to-the-floor House rhythm.

While Mattia Pompeo is keeping the techno-flame alive on “Ikigai”, Barcelona-based Brunetto faces the challenge delivering a subtle and elegant remix, staying true to the original yet adding a bit more spice. Moodily blending house, clicking percussion, sunny little melodies, warm atmospheres and neo-shoegaze noise stylings. Another artist from the Spanish-Armada, Elojet, surprises with an electrifying, solid and unstoppable House-Disco-Techno rework of “Mareny”. Smart drums and analogue-sounding synth-lines. M.in and D-Lee’s remix of the same track -‘Mareny’- is next, seeing the pair utilising the original’s driving synths and fusing them with layered drums and looped vocals. Rising Spanish talent Squire turns AFFKT and Upercent’s track “Boira” into a deep, understated House number, retaining the psychedelic palette whilst still pushing the track in new directions. Uruguayan producer, Fernando Lagreca makes his own an enigmatic track, ‘Ceniza’, and reworks it into a striving six-minute groover, combining the original’s absorbing synths with an array of warming pads and other electronica effects.

And finally, closing this multiverse of infinite scenarios, Wavekiki’s edit of ‘Someone in the Sky’, featuring Sutja Gutierrez. This 7-minute outing brings Sutja’s silky vocals to the front of the track, introducing nuances of strings and guitars to great effect.