Artist: Ellen Allien + various artists
EP: Allien RMXS
Label: BPitch Control
Release date: 23/03/15
The latest release from one of the coolest ladies in electronic music, Ellen Allien, is a series of remixes of tracks from her successful Freak EP from last summer, courtesy of Detroit duo Aux 88, Irish legend Ejeca, acid-house expert Radio Slave and Chicago techno veteran L.A Williams.
Up first is Aux 88's “RMX” of Butterfly. The duo has transformed the shimmering, playful nature of the original and twisted it into an altogether heavier, electro-flavoured affair. If this remix was a person, I imagine it'd be clad head to toe in leather and partaking in Berghain debauchery, thanks to Aux 88's injection of sexy darkness coupled with Allien's distinctively German-accented vocals.
This is followed up by Ejeca's Acid remix of Freak The Night; unmistakable acid stabs are reminiscent of strobe-distorted footage of illegal warehouse raves, leading up to one particularly suspenseful moment of silence around the 4 minute mark, before descending back into full rave mode.
The real standout, however, is the B-side, where 14 minutes of a heavenly house journey are served up by Radio Slave. Allien's call to “freak the night away” sounds particularly siren-like over the lush, grooving bass line and echoey hi-hats. Also worth a mention is LA Williams' remix, only available on the digital version. Like Ejeca, it has an old-school acid vibe, but is altogether more fast-paced, upbeat and bouncy.
It can be easy to overlook remix releases, but these are well worth a listen; each producer has added their own very distinctive touch, without compromising the features that made the original tracks so good.
WORDS | Miriam Johnson
Tracklist:
01. Butterfly (Aux 88 RMX)
02. Freak The Night (Ejeca RMX)
03. Freak The Night (Radioslave RMX)
04. Freak The Night (LA Williams RMX)
05. Freak The Night (Radioslave Acapella)
