Long time electronic music artist and Neo Ouija label owner Lee Norris (aka Metamatics) makes an appearance on new German label Delikatessen Records with a 4-track 10″ single. Remixes presents renterpretations by 3 Neo Ouija artists – Sense, Xela and Setzer – including a remix of “Byeway” from Norris’ From Death To Passwords Where You’re A Paper Aeroplane album and 3 remixes of 2 as yet unreleased tracks. The 4th track is a remix by newcomer LGB.
Opening with Sense’s “Byeway Rewired”, Remixes starts out with a melodic almost Eastern influenced remix consisting of stabbing beats and a deep penetrating bassline. Maintaining the melodic theme common in Metamatics work, Sense contributes a remix of many elements to form a pleasant yet busy result. LGB’s El Major De La Nova remix of “The Pod”, the first of 3 reworks of unreleased tracks, is the highlight of the single.
Utilising low key melodies over discrete hazy beats, LGB takes a series of short samples of a baby’s voice and uses them like an instrument in their own right by looping them and cutting them up. Not a new concept but well executed in this instance.
Xela’s remix of “Shit Hot Dirt” combines a large dose of hip-hop influence with deep distorted bass tones, crisp beats and looped vocal samples. Ending with an amusingly cool processed hip-hop vocal sample, Xela’s remix is funky dub hip-hop with an experimental electronic edge. Closing this mini collection of remixes is “The Pod – Parallactic” remixed by Setzer, taking zaps, whirs and insect-like squeaks alongside rattling percussion before adding huge cavenous beats, swirling synth tones and gorgeous melodies.
With only a handful of releases to their name from Lusine ICL, Crunch and now Metamatics, Delikatessen are fast becoming a label to watch with Remixes being no exception. While there is nothing new on this single, each remix maintains a well-balanced mix of melody and beats with some nice touches added by some of the remixers.
- Delikatessen Records
