Slow Down, Molasses – Bodies of Water: Remixes
The team at someofoitistrue towers have to admit to being a bit daunted when the latest from Slow Down, Molasses arrived at our door. We weren’t familiar with either the band’s previous work, or really “remixing” as an art form. It therefore took us a few listens to really get into this record, but safe to say, it’s well worth the effort.
Whilst not being experts in the “remix”, one of our first records was the “Two Tribes” 12” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, which we still like to this day. One of our favourite records ever and always brings us back time after time, is “µ-Ziq Vs. The Auteurs” –a total classic in our opinion, where Mike Paradinas obliterates some of the tracks from the “Now I’m a Cowboy” record, creating something totally new and exciting. We remain fans of both groups, a love that Luke Haines and Mike Paradinas probably don’t share.
Not being familiar with the original versions, I can’t comment on how radical the “Bodies of Water: Remixes” are, but my thoughts are that they are probably not too different from the source material, certainly in keeping with the feel of a Slow Down, Molasses record – must admit I need to do some home work here. It’s certainly not a “Loaded” type set of remixes, where Andrew Weatherall totally changed “I’m Losing More Than I’ll Ever Have” by Primal Scream, but still produced something that was in keeping with what the band are all about. Whilst Bodies of Water isn’t so radical a remix work, it’s an interesting record that stands up to, actually requires, repeated listening.
Over eight tracks, including three versions each of “Walk Into The Sea” and “Light”, and at just 32 minutes – someofitistrue applauds bands who get to the point and don’t outstay their welcome – the team behind this record have produced a really diverse body of work that takes the listener on an interesting and varied musical journey. I understand that Slow Down, Molasses are a multi instrumental collective of up to nine members (possibly more) and there is a wealth of different instruments featured here, all sounding great together.
Favourite tracks for this listener include, “Bodies (Mehta’s Reduction)” which has a real Alice Coltrane feel about it, with the harp sound coming in and out over the driving sequenced background. “Light (Sebastian Reynolds Remix)” works really well, it starts with just vocals and the slightest of piano backgrounds, you feel that it’s the soundtrack to a leaf being blown in the breeze, slowly it builds and ends with repeat stabs of noise, the leaf is now being bashed repeatedly against a corrugated iron fence, excellent stuff. I also really like “Walk Into The Sea (Message to Bears Remix)” with its ripples of piano, cello, haunting vocals and, what sounds to me, like a looped Wurlitzer. “Late Night Radio (Foam Lake Remix)” is all hypnotic rhythm, crashing guitars and brass instrumentation and would work well in the type of club that Some Of It Is True wish they would get invited to more often.
When I finally “got” this record, I was cycling around the country lanes of Warwickshire on a sunny spring morning, this record was the perfect sound track; it contains light, shade, driving beats, quiet passages, vocal hooks, strange instruments / sounds and is always interesting. Ultimately, any remix record needs to work on two levels; as a body of work in its own right that stands up to repeated listening and also as an introduction to the listener to search out more music by the artists involved. “Bodies of Water: Remixes” is a record that I keep coming back to and I’m going to discover more music by Slow Down, Molasses, so for someofitistrue it is a total success.
4/5
Review by @tvermar
****You can download this album – name your price – at the following sites****
http://www.facebook.com/slowdownmolasses
http://slowdownmolasses.bandcamp.com/
