Laki Mera - Fool Remixes
by Andy Cassidy
published: 11 / 10 / 2011
Label:
Just Music
Format: CDS
intro
Enjoyable and inventive remixes on new EP from Glasgow-based electronic rock act, Laki Mera
'Fool' is the first single taken from Laki Mera’s album 'The Proximity Effect'. This EP features three remixes of the album track; the Bangatang Remix, the Sezer Uysal Foolish Remix and the Ad Brown Remix. The Bangatang remix opens with a catchy, insistent beat and a crescendo of strings being bowed rapidly before slipping into a gentle, bubbling electro synth line. One of the things which I particularly enjoyed about the album version of the track was lead singer Laura Donnelly’s excellent vocal, and I’m happy to say that it has survived the remixing process undiminished. The Banagatang Remix sits at the slow end of the electronica spectrum, and therein lies what could perhaps be construed as a fault – it’s probably too slow for the dance floor, and yet too upbeat for a trance track. That said, the remix takes a good song and turns out a version which is enjoyable as a piece on its own, and which could sit quite comfortably on the original album. The second remix, the Sezer Uysal Foolish Remix, is a more upbeat affair than the previous track and is, by virtue of an increased BPM rate, more suited to the dance floor. This remix has added a great deal to the song, with a fantastic string section line in the verse and heavily treated vocals. The beat is very much to the fore in this version, with Donnelly’s vocals and many of the original aspects of the track taking a back seat. This does not, however, take anything away from the track – there is a terrific dynamic in the interplay between original material and additions. This is a track which one could easily imagine hearing in the clubs and bars – it’s upbeat, well-crafted and original. The third remix on the EP, the Ad Brown Remix, is perhaps the farthest removed from the original track. Its opening owes little to the album version, and like the Sezer Uysal Foolish Remix, it is much more upbeat than the original. This is really a techno track with a high beat rate and a pounding bass-line. Of the three remixes on the EP, this is probably my least favourite, mainly because it is so different from the album track. There is, however, a fabulous refrain starting at 3:40 which takes the song from dance to trance in the space of a beat – dreamy, ethereal vocals float over some terrific synth textures. Each remix on this EP has its merits, with my personal favourite being the Sezer Uysal Foolish Remix. The first track, Bangatang Remix, is a track to be listened to, the Ad Brown Remix is a track to be danced to, and the Sezer Uysal Foolish remix is somewhere in between. This is an enjoyable EP, featuring three inventive and completely different versions of an excellent track. I prefer the original to the remixes, but each version has a charm which endears it in its own way.
Track Listing:-
1 Fool - Bangatang Remix2 Fool - Sezer Uysal Foolish Remix
3 Fool - Ad Brown Remix
interviews |
Interview (2008) |
In December of last year, Glasgow-based ambient/electronica act Laki Mera released their debut album as a pay-if-you-want digital download. With a CD version now also out, John Clarkson speaks to singer Laura Donnelly about why they did this, the group's sound and their plans for the future |
live reviews |
Barfly, London, 7/9/2011 |
Despite Glaswegian electronic quartet's Laki Mera's military efficiency and mechanical production, Sarah Mwangi finds much that is achingly human in their music at a show at the Barfly in London |
bandcamp
reviews |
The Proximity Effect (2011) |
Challenging, but enthralling second album from unique-sounding Glasgow-based band Laki Mera, whose music merges together folk and electronica |
Clutter EP (2010) |
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