I recently stated in a review that numerous versions of the same song played consecutively can be a bit of a put-off. Then again, we all tend to say things that side on being hypocritical. Yesterday I was discussing how the concept of the “band shirt” could be ridiculous. It was then pointed out to me that having a button on the tweed jacket I often wear to work is no different. And, then again, today I find myself wearing a Voxtrot tee and cut-offs. Perhaps it is not necessarily hypocrisy but poor communication.

Punkdrömmar by [ingenting] (MySpace) is a single that requires me to take back that early statement concerning remixed songs. The three here are quite different from each other. The original song is one similar to the indiepop you’d expect from Labrador Records. It’s catchy and fun and super upbeat; though contrary much of the Labrador material it is not sung in English.

The two remixes that follow differ greatly from the original and each other. Enochson’s remix lifts the beasts and drowns much of the guitar in additional electronic elements. There is also a greater emphasis on the harmony vocals present but not in the forefront of the original. Wilkström’s remix is an epic 9 minute song that opens with heavy percussion (including cowbell) and trance-like electronics. This version rotates between three elements: minimalistic electronica with few traces of the original, heavy electronica with medium traces of the original, and blends of the original mix with little change—putting the three into a rotation that is unlike most remixes around.

When it comes down to it, remixed songs can be annoying—take the recent remix albums by Architecture in Helsinki and Stars as examples—but they do not have to be. If done right they can add depth to a track and bring out melodies and harmonies that once were hidden.

This review was originally published June 4, 2007 on the old version of FensePost.

[ingenting]: Punkdrömmar [mp3]

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Labrador [Digital Single, 2007]

1. Punkdrömmar
2. Punkdrömmar [Enochson’s Remix]
3. Punkdrömmar [Wikström’s Remix]