Oliver Hacke - Subject Carrier Remixes

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  • August seems to be the time for remixes from Cologne. Along with Traum’s two Dominik Eulberg remix 12”s, their sublabel Trapez has also released a remix 12”. This time the tracks being remixed are from Oliver Hacke’s 2004 debut album “Subject Carrier”. John Tejada, who surely needs no introduction, remixes “6:04”, the somewhat austere first track on Hacke’s album. Tejada keeps the track mostly intact, including the melody, but adds a stronger bassline and a handclap rhythm, creating more of a hip-swinging groove. This loosens up Hacke’s head-nodding minimal track considerably, although it still retains something of the reserved nature of the original. Perhaps Tejada should not have cleaved so close to the original, because in doing so his remix inherits the original’s only flaw: a decided lack of hooks. As a consequence, the remix is a nice piece of restrained tech-house that never really grabs the listener. Probably best used in the early part of a DJ set to slowly build mood. Spanish up and comer Alex Under, soon to be releasing his own debut album on Trapez in late September, remixes “7:03”. Whereas Tejada chose to stay close to the original source material, Under decides to make the track fully his own. It’s a smart decision too, because he comes up with a charming and engaging minimal groover that surpasses the original. A hypnotic drone circles around as somewhat aquatic sounds bubble up from the below the surface, soon joined by a charming, chiming melody. The track moves through peaks and troughs as Under slowly adds more elements, creating a satisfying feeling of progression. It’s a nice track, and hints that Alex Under could be someone to keep an eye on.
RA