Art Department Presents Martina Topley-Bird - Crystalised

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  • Originally slated for release on a shelved album of remixed tracks from The xx's first LP, this cover of one of the record's most celebrated tracks is an interesting detour for Art Department's No.19 label. A duet between Martina Topley-Bird (of Maxinquaye fame) and erstwhile Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan, the cover is a delightfully slow brew of rueful vocals, heavy-limbed bass and chiming percussion. The package includes a slew of remixes. The standout comes from French producer Agoria, who keeps only the odd sampled snippet of the original vocal in a gorgeous deep house stew of warming bass and languorous piano. Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper (in their Director's Cut guise) add a mid-pace beat and light chords, making for a gentle, elongated dance floor interpretation that keeps Topley-Bird and Lanegan's vocals in the forefront. Deniz Kurtel goes down a more ominous-sounding route with her version, which blends stark percussion with torrents of bass, covering the vocal in a thick film of coal dust from which it never emerges.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Crystalised (Directors Cut Signature Mix) A2 Crystalised (Directors Cut Unmarked Dub) B1 Crystalised (Agoria Remix) B2 Crystalised (Deniz Kurtel Remix)
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