Jason Fine, Our Music is a Secret Order Remixed

[Kontra-Musik]


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Delivering on the promise of a heavily tipped 12″ for Omar-S’ FXHE label, Jason Fine’s 2008 double-pack for Kontra-Musik, Our Music Music Is A Secret Order, was a remarkably confident collection of understated, soulful techno with vintage Detroit flavor. Owing perhaps to the secrecy of its order, Our Music wasn’t much discussed, but perhaps these reinterpretations from a pair of rising stars will help that.

Of the two remixes, Anton Zap’s is the greater departure from its source. In its original form, “Half” was a moonlit soundscape of subdued, solitary deepness. In the hands of Moscow’s most notable Jus-Ed protégé, it becomes something significantly sunnier. Fine’s track is left more or less intact, it’s just that Zap stacks a bright, shiny tech-house track on top of it. Fine’s laid back pace is filled in with peppier percussion (hi-hats even), funky bass, and dense, wobbly melodies. The warmth of Fine’s version is retained, but a bubbly synth hook overturns the original’s contemplative qualities. This track has been stuck in my head for a good two weeks now, and is a nice warm-up for Zap’s excellent upcoming record for Uzuri.

In addition to sharing geographic and label affiliations, Luke Hess seems a kindred spirit of Fine’s in many ways. His remix of “Midwest N” is a less drastic deviation, though it too lights a fire under the eerie, head-nodding original. Hess doesn’t push the track out of its deep techno environs, doesn’t try to change its outlook on life, but he does ask that it dress for the club. Fleshed out with uptempo percussion and dub flourishes, it’s a far more propulsive take on the Midwest. The intersection of Hess’ vigor and moodiness of Fine’s track proves quite natural, and I wouldn’t be much surprised if their paths crossed again.

kartsaklis  on May 3, 2009 at 10:59 PM

loving the anton zap remix of “half”

Trackbacks

Little White Earbuds May Charts - Little White Earbuds  on June 4, 2009 at 10:18 PM

[…] Bojangels” [Circus Company] (buy) 08. Baby Ford, “No Day” [Perlon] (buy) 09. Jason Fine, “Half” (Anton Zap remix) [Kontra-Musik] (buy) 10. Peter Van Hoesen, “Attribute One” [Time to Express] […]

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