Pangaea - Two Mixes

  • Share
  • Is it ever a good idea to remix a classic? The debate has been back on the table recently. On his new 12-inch, the first release since his album last year, Kevin McAuley tackles a pop dance favourite. If you overlook the corny rapping, Nomad's "Devotion," which was released in 1990 and reached #2 in the UK charts, is still a nice example of the rave-era optimism that was sweeping the UK at the time. On his edit, McAuley focusses on the track's dual sense of euphoria and melancholy. He takes the original's stirring pads and famous vocal refrain—"I wanna give you devotion"—lays them over a faster, sharper beat, and introduces a new bassline and synth part. It's a tasteful retouch, one where you can almost sense McAuley's original question to himself: "I want to play this track out but how can I bring it up to date?" Although it's billed as a remix, the version of Loleatta Holloway's "Stand Up" on the A-side is more a clever reimagining of an acapella. The Hessle Audio crew have been playing it for a while, and it's exactly the sort of thing that seems to excite them as DJs: a stripped-back rhythm tool that creates a striking contrast with the tracks around it. McAuley sets up a punchy, Brazilian-style percussion loop, pairs it with a massive bass stab, and twists Holloway's whoops and shouts to keep the track barrelling forwards. Where the B-side feels like a pragmatic update for the modern club, this one has spades of individual flair. Both, however, are textbook examples of how to take on the past and win.
  • Tracklist
      A Nomad - Devotion (Pangaea Edit) B Loleatta Holloway - Stand Up (Pangaea Mix)
RA