Mike Callander - The Blinding Light and the Darkness

  • Share
  • According to the imprint's three founders, Haul Music is a vehicle to facilitate communication between "our isolated island continent"—Australia—and the rest of the music world. Of course, by "communication" the trio mean, "Letting people know there's music here." Since 2008 Mike Callander, Craig McWhinney and Christian Vance have been doing exactly that, mostly with their own productions. "The Blinding Light & the Darkness" is more straightforward than some of Callander's previous tunes. Blurry chords and a rather pounding kick form the track's foundation, with a range of unusual additions. As he showed in the breakdown of last year's "Lost," these tricky effects are somewhat of a hallmark in his work. In this case, it's a bird-like flapping which races over the other elements at regular intervals. However, it—along with some wet-sounding hand claps—is one of the few angular features. The first remix could hardly be more different. From Scotsman Alex Smoke—AKA Alex Menzies—it's uncharacteristically single-minded; even his recent rework of Surgeon's "Muggerscum Out" had more pause. A caustic hi-hat charges through the track, only stopping briefly at the halfway point. It's such a forceful element that everything else seems to swim listlessly below it, even the squelching, quasi-acid bassline. However, the original's benign melodies haven't been discarded altogether, with Menzies keeping a tenuous grasp and allowing them to bob up when the time is right. The second remix comes from Melbourne's T-Rek—AKA Tarek Smallman. Originally a drummer, the frequent DJ and occasional producer is about as idiosyncratic as they come. He's remixed Snoop Dogg, topped the local pop charts, still plays in bands and has a back catalogue that's nothing short of bizzare. Accordingly, his nine-and-a-half minute take is closer to psychedelic rock than anything else. Meandering below 100 BPM, lazy guitars mingle with flurries of the original's hand claps. What's electronic isn't immediately obvious, and that's part of its charm.
  • Tracklist
      01. The Blinding Light And The Darkness 02. The Blinding Light And The Darkness (Alex Smoke Remix) 03. The Blinding Light And The Darkness (T-Rek's Dub 'n' Tug Remix)
RA