Graham Goodwin's busy 2007 is shaping up to make him just as busy in 2008. He spread the wealth around to a variety of labels throughout the past year, letting Mule Electronic, Soma, Karmarouge, and Aus all in on the fun. (He even inaugurated his own Octopus imprint last year with two 12-inches, as well.)
Credit that work ethic—and the rising reputation of Will Saul and Fin Greenall's Aus—with convincing Roland Appel to remix Goodwin's newest, 'Wear Your Scars Like Medals.' Like Goodwin, Appel is a busy dude, producing alongside Christian Prommer and Peter Kruder in Voom:Voom and remixing anyone and everyone with Prommer in Fauna Flash.
Appel's remix here is just as distinctive as his recent solo works on Sonar Kollektiv, mining Goodwin's menacing original for every sliver of emotion. He finds them, but only after a three-minute intro of spinning his wheels and building tension. Once the distinctive bassline comes in, however, we're off to the races: Appel spends much of the rest of the time gently building up and tearing down everything around it.
The source material for the epic Appel mix should hardly be regarded as chopped liver. But it shouldn't be bought on the basis of the warm reception of ‘Apple Tree’. 'Wear Your Scars...' contains little of the luscious Detroit feel of Goodwin's previous Aus outing. Deep, cleansing washes of white noise synth ride ominously against percolating melodies unrelenting in their inevitable rise and fall. It's the 4 a.m. to Appel's 4 p.m. It's simply a choice of what you're looking for to decide which one to play.
Buy Sian - Wear Your Scars Like Medals at
Tracklist: Sian - Wear Your Scars Like Medals
A Wear Your Scars Like Medals
B Wear Your Scars Like Medals (Roland Appel Remix)
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