Like the majority of things, I have a rule for remixes: A remix worth even the most cursory of listens should a. remain more or less true to the source material b. quickly and efficiently establish its own uniqueness. It doesn't seem terribly difficult of a rule to follow but the wide majority tend to fail this basic two-part test. While in Austin for SXSW I heard such a remix that did however - during his DJ set at this year's Hype Hotel Berkeley based producer Yalls let his reworking of Emily Reo's Olive Juice standout "Peach" fly and I was utterly floored by its magnificence.
What makes Yalls reimagining of what is already a pretty enjoyable tune in its own right has everything to do with an embrace of dichotomies. Both Yalls' Dan Casey and Reo tend to make tunes that offer up a rather sparse take on electronic music but when paired together, Casey creates a downright kaleidoscopic blend of sounds with a dazzling array of layers. That Reo's voice can be cut/clipped/and patched together in a manner that certainly brings the word stuttering to mind but still maintain a definite sense of fluidity is impressive to say the least. That Casey can do that while recreating the sense of buoyancy of Reo's original more or less from scratch is far more so. Yalls avoids the all too common remix troupe of just toying around with and/or rehashing the source track's most memorable moments and creates a mix that finds the perfect balance between Reo's effervescent dream-pop confection and his own dynamic vision.
Emily Reo's Olive Juice remix album is out now and available to download via Bandcamp.
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