UPFRONTBEATS

Following on from his essential The Invention of Loneliness album on BMG in February of this year, Sailor & I now gets remixed by a top selection of dance artists. These include heavyweights like Maceo Plex, Johannes Brecht, Paul Woolford, André Hommen, Fur Coat and more.

Sailor & I is Alexander Sjödin a singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Stockholm who is much loved for his unique voice and instrumentation. His debut LP was a fusion of electronic pop, synth heavy sounds and house and techno that had plenty of highlights, many of which are revisited here and flipped into something fresh and equally compelling.

First up is Mosaic man and Ellum Audio label boss Maceo Plex, one of the leading figures in today’s house and techno scene. His version of ‘Black Swan’ is a stormy seven-minute opus with snorting synths and driving drums all softened by whispered vocals and tender pads. Diynamic and Poker Flat associate and classically trained musician Johannes Brecht then flips ‘Chameleon’ into a deep and broody house number with tortured vocals and whip snapping synths bringing real tension.

Israel’s Ran Salman, from labels like EIN2, then makes ‘Fire on the Moon’ a scintillating and intense track layered up with synths and tumbling percussion that sucks you right into the groove. Always classy house veteran André Hommen serves up and uplifting version of ‘Next To You’ that allows the dreamy vocal centre stage and warms it up with soft synths and drums that are supple and loose.

For more playful disco tinged vibes, Kerb Staller are the men with their remix of ‘Paramount.’ Made up of Jozif and Leftroom boss Matt Tolfrey, this pair layer in plenty of colourful synths and pixelated melodies and get the hips swinging in real style with a steamy remix. Always on-point producer Paul Woolford then serves up a modern club classic with his string-laced version of ‘Rivers’ which is unashamedly happy and anthemic.

Crosstown Rebels act Fur Coat then rounds out the remixes with a slithering and creepy techno remix that has high pressure drums and molten synths run through with icy hi hats. The album closes out with a superb cover of Moderat’s ‘Running’ followed by the heartbroken singalong ‘Only Love Can Save Us’ which settles things in moving fashion.

All in all, this is an essential collection of tracks that cover many different bases with equal élan.

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