- 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.
TracklistA1 Thread Between Us (Tadeo Remix)
A2 Broken Pad (Aubrey Remix)
B1 Unwise (Polar Inertia Remix)