Labradford/Surfers of Romantica - ENE Remixes
(Eerie Materials)
Before you get too excited about seeing a new Labradford release,
this is a remix 12", both sides done by the group ENE. However, wow, it is a pretty good remix, high-quality
music on high-quality vinyl, so keep reading. The other side of the single
is by the Japanese band Surfers of Romantica, and the intent of the single,
seeing as (supposedly) Labradford are as unknown in Japan as the Surfers of
Romantica are in the US, is to increase the exposure of both of these groups
in the corresponding foreign land.
Labradford's remix, "Underwood 5ive," is a treat, using as source material
a song that most Labradford fans have never heard, its only printing being
on the long gone Duophonic 10". The usually reserved Labradford seems
quite dramatic here, the quick changes in volume and pattern making the
psychedelic washes of guitar seem almost hard-hitting. No lulling
hypnosis is needed to get your attention; it is forcefully grabbed.
The Surfers of Romantica side is not nearly as good. Considering the point
of this release is supposedly to increase interest of the band in the US,
it is fairly hard to determine what the band must sound like from this
remix. The heart of the track is a House-like beat, to which bits of
psych/folk guitar and tribal chanting are added on top. I have a sense that
the bits added on top are more what the Surfers are about than the House
beat that dominates the track, but it is hard to get any true feel of the
band from this release.
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