DJ/producer and co-label boss Tom VR’s 2021 Please Keep Shimmering album was a sonically detailed and emotive affair made up of laid back and semi-club tunes composed of tiny slivers of sound and layers of intricate percussion. This remix package takes four album tracks and reworks them strictly for the dance floor.
Lone goes for a thick, soundtrack/drum & bass interpretation of “October” while Peach turns in an edgy, light 4/4 remix of “Partner” with terse, rattling percussion and a light touch on the synths. But it’s the Midland and Kareem Ali takes that are the strongest here.
They both remix “Soared Straight Through Me,” producing two very different but highly effective versions. Midland’s remix is box-fresh futurist techno with layers of detailed rhythmic programming that very much reflects the nature of the source material. The flanged percussion and digital bass make for a tight groove which is then warmed up to perfection with a pad wash and effected vocals combo that lifts the whole thing to a more inspirational level.
Kareem Ali’s remix is a restrained and speedy deep house affair that sounds somehow both direct and dreamy at the same time. The vocals are buried deep, the beat is tight and uncomplicated and whatever he’s done with the stems he was given has created an almost pastoral-cosmic mood. A deceptively simple jam that could be hugely effective on the right dance floor at the right moment.
Tom VR: Please Keep Shimmering (Remixes) (all my thoughts / Digital)
1. Tom VR: Soared Straight Through Me (Midland Remix) (06:08)
2. Tom VR: Partner (Peach Remix) (05:50)
3. Tom VR: October (Lone Remix) (06:05)
4. Tom VR: Soared Straight Through Me (Kareem Ali Remix) (05:16)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo.
#ReDiscovery: This was originally published in 5 Mag Issue #197 featuring Billie Ray Martin, Eternal Student, Lady Blackbird and more. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for as little as $1 per issue and get every issue in your inbox right away!
