Review: Bachelors Of Science / Saburuko - Strings Track (Apex Remix) / Brooklyn Summer (Morphy Remix)

This release features two top quality remixes of tracks by Bachelors Of Science and Saburuko. Apex's remix of "Strings Track" pushes the euphoria dial up a notch (like that was possible), while Morphy's remix of "Brooklyn Summer" is jungle inspired take on the original.

1. Bachelors Of Science- Strings Track (Apex Remix)

This is one of those remixes that primarily builds upon the successful qualities of the original. It's euphoric and uplifting and it mirrors the structure of the original. Apex included drum samples that are a little more hard hitting and removed the soulful male vocals to make his take on "String Tracks" a bit more suited for the dancefloor. If you've ever listened to any other tracks by Apex, you'll probably recognize the trancey synths and breakdowns. While these additions definitely definitely get the job done, it would have been nice to see Apex be a little more original. Nevertheless, this is an excellent track for anyone who has any interest in drum & bass.


2. Saburuko -Brooklyn Summer (Morphy Remix)
Unfortunately, I could not find a streaming version of this remix, so you'll have to buy this release to hear it. :) The original mix by Saburuko is notable for the way it mixes soulful vocals with upbeat, but not overwhelming, dancefloor drum & bass. Morphy keeps the soulful vocals and the general structure of the track, but he does make a lot of changes to the drumline and the bassline. At the beginning of the track, the drumline is less pronounced, soon we are greeted by some ragga-jungle inspired samples and effects. Morphy finishes the intro with a dubby melody that is quickly followed by a wicked drop that marks the true beginning of this track. The drum line in Morphy's remix feels a lot more raw and less clinical than in the original remix. The lack of 'polish' in bassline is also not very typical of modern drum & bass. The ragga-jungle song structure with the melodic pauses suggest that Morphy was definitely inspired by jungle when he made this remix. However, you don't have to be a big ragga-jungle fan to enjoy this track, the soulful vocals give this track a unique feel that is sometimes lacking in ragga-jungle tracks. 

Artwork: Border Community

Border Community is another record label that has a very consistent style when it comes to artwork. A reoccurring image in their artwork is a panoramic shot of a rustic windmill located among some green hills. A lot of their artwork evokes feelings of nostalgia and gentle longing for the innocence and simplicity of childhood.

James Holden - A Break In The Clouds (2003)

For it's few releases, Border Community continued to use the same artwork. However soon, they started releasing artwork with a new a new take on the 'rustic windmill' imagery. 


Extrawelt – Soopertrack / Zu Fuss (2005)

The first variation on the 'rustic windmill' image was done in the style of a colouring book.

James Holden – The Idiots Are Winning (2006)

Holden's next release introduces some artistic chaos to the calm windmill imagery.

Ricardo Tobar – El Sunset (2007)

I love the contrast between the colours surrounding the windmill and the primitivist textures of the hills and the sky.

Luke Abbott - Tuesday EP (2008)

And we're back to contemplating the sunny memories of childhood.

Ricardo Tobar – Boy Love Girl EP (2008)

This is my favourite piece of artwork on Border Community. Completely twisted, but with a dash of humour. Is that a little cosmonaut climbing a confused looking hoodoo? Who are those geeky looking creatures in the background? I didn't know that they had windmills on Solaris.

A special mention should be made of the artwork on a series of releases by Nathan Fake. I am quiet fond of the flower filled sky and the soft kodachrome photography.

Nathan Fake - Silent Night (2005)

 
Nathan Fake - Drowning in a Sea of Love (2006)

Nathan Fake - Drowning In A Sea Of Remixes (2006)

How not to do a remix

Recently I was looking through some remixes of Wamdue Project's 90s era hit "King of my Castle". This track presents us with a nice mix of hard techno beats, cybernetic melodies and a hypnotic vocal. It's a true product of 90s cyberpunk and I am not just saying this because of the video clip uses scenes from the seminal cyberpunk epic of the 90s: Ghost in the Shell.

While some of the remixes were quite decent, I encountered quite a few shitty remixes of this track. One particular remix stood out from the rest in it's lack of originality and boring production values: the Armin van Buuren remix. I had to press pause half-way through the track. It's that horrible. Armin perverted "King of My Castle" into a completely generic trance anthem that lacks any originality. You can hear that he made no effort to create something new. The best way to find out how horrible this track is by pressing play:

After listening to this horrendous piece of garbage, you'll probably need something to soothe your nerves. Luckily, I've also discovered another remix of "King of My Castle" by Bini and Martini. This remix is reinterpretation of the original done in a nu-disco (the non-pretentious type)/90s soulful house style. The vocal is a lot more soothing and the whole song is much more melodic and groovy. If the original was more suitable for dark techno club, then this remix is more suitable for shaking your ass with a cute girl at a cool lounge bar.