- The fifth instalment of remixes of Adam X's Traversable Wormhole project sees Chris Liebing's CLR label call in the heavyweights, with Function and James Ruskin on remix duties. But first of all, how have the original compositions held up? "Tachyon" is still a superb piece of mood music, moving from a mid-tempo, atmospheric rhythm before descending into beatlessness mid-way through, as Adam X allows the cold, outer space bleeps take hold.
There is a link between "Tachyon" and the other original track, "Traversing the Asteroid Belt." The latter composition sees the producer opt for a more upfront approach, with heavy drums and distorted bass licks lending it the necessary dance floor clout. However, the underlying feeling is similar to "Tachyon," as a blanket of atmospheric sounds and more cold bleeps provide a similar sense of alienation.
James Ruskin's version of "Tachyon" is more about creating a foreboding feeling. The UK producer bases his interpretation around a menacing bass that sounds partially inspired by '90s hardcore and static percussion, elements that work well with the original version's bleeps. Function's take on "Traversing the Asteroid Belt" is just as eerie. Dispensing with the reverberating claps that characterise his work, Dave Sumner instead laces his dense, panning sound textures and pumping bassline with skeletal, rickety percussion. Both new versions are worthy accompaniments to the original tracks, but there's just one small gripe with this release: Why are Traversable Wormhole's own tracks limited to digital-only formats? Given that it is a re-release project and that many people missed the 2009 releases, it seems almost counter-productive not to put out the original tracks on vinyl.
Tracklist01. Traversing the Asteroid Belt (Function Remix)
02. Tachyon (James Ruskin Remix)
03. Traversing the Asteroid Belt
04. Tachyon