Back in 2019, live performer and producer Alex Banks released ‘Beneath The Surface’ on Max Cooper’s Mesh Label, which garnered widespread attention. The LP fused and experimented with techno, electronica & rave, and due to its richness in sound and design, it now serves as the perfect breeding ground for some very interesting re-takes, which are to be released in two separate EP’s. The first installment features remixes by Thomas Gandey, Ital Tok, Jinjé, Lost Unicorns, and Thomas Ragsdale, and it’s set to be released on February 27th.
A befitting opening track, ‘Spiraling’ gets the first treatment, courtesy of Yorkshire’s Thomas Ragsdale. The hyperkinetic original gets stripped down to its bare bones, to create a descent into the maelstrom. In doing so, Ragsdale creates a deep gaze into the abyss, where time stands still as we see an eerie but beautiful landscape unfurl. The follow-up, ‘Chasms’ gets headier and even more intoxicating thanks to the imagination of the veteran Thomas Gandey. The remix takes all the key elements from the original and the suede from Ásgeir’s vocals, twisting and mangling them, for a more visceral feel in what is certainly one of the highlights from this first EP.
Right by the halfway mark, ‘Falling Down’ is re-designed into a dirtier, razor-sharp image of itself. One of the heavier tracks on the “Beneath The Surface” album, Ital Tok takes a detour into a darker space, for an even rawer vibe. An electrifying and captivating rendition, which leans on the industrial side of electronica with its hard-hitting low end. The fourth reinterpretation comes from Jinjé, as he takes ‘Revolution’ on for an old school, house-ier spin. The English producer picks up all the scattered pieces from Banks’ original track and re-packages them as a dance-floor lick that works as a breath of fresh air in the EP as a whole. For the closer ‘New Wonder’, Lost Unicorns get down for a bubblier version. The sparseness form the original is traded for a more unstable feel, that grips listeners tight with its broken beat that contrasts gorgeously to Ásgeir’s velvet vocals right until the end for a grandiose finale.
This first remix edition of “Beneath The Surface” certainly feels like an extension on the original outing, and not just a compilation of reworks for the club. Every remix feels like an exploration of what the original tracks could have been, and this is mostly due to the careful selection of each remixer. Something that provides much more than just a parade of well-known names for the sake of it, and that is really saying something in this day and age.
You can pre-order the first EP here.
