Synthek & Audiolouis - Unwise Remix Series #1

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  • Synthek and Audiolouis's 2014 LP Unwise, released on their own Natch Records, explored shades of atmospheric techno with mostly satisfying results. It didn't break any new ground but was still a fine release overall. This year, the Berlin-based duo is following the album with a run of three remix records, featuring an international band of underground talent. Unfortunately, Unwise Remix Series #1 marks a rough start. These efforts from Tadeo, Aubrey and Polar Inertia are decent but too safe, especially given the latter two's adventurous source material. Tadeo's take on the sleek and straight-ahead "Thread Between Us" is the strongest. An under-rated producer of brisk sci-fi techno, he takes a comparatively subdued approach, dialing down the reverb and letting melodic bleeps and classy stabs take the lead. Aubrey's remix of "Broken Pad" is the weakest. The original, a syncopated cut steeped in alternately moody and dramatic pads, was one of the album's gems, but Aubrey's shuffling 4/4 interpretation is listless in comparison. Finally, Paris's enigmatic Polar Inertia are enlisted to remix the sepia-tinted "Unwise." The original's languid minor-key melody is still prominent, and Polar Inertia's epic style is readily heard—with the BPM dropped down to around 112, it chugs for nearly nine minutes and features patiently dubbed-out effects—but it doesn't grab like their best stuff. Bolder reworks would have better complemented these three original productions.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Thread Between Us (Tadeo Remix) A2 Broken Pad (Aubrey Remix) B1 Unwise (Polar Inertia Remix)
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