Serge overkill

Like any self-respecting gentleman, I don't have much time for Goldfrapp...That heavily commodified electro sound that they peddle is perfectly bearable, but it's the cynical way in which they're marketed which isn't. Part of that cynicism is their endless enlistment of trendy schmendy remixers roped in to maximize sales of the standard-issue Benny Benassi mix or whatever (Tiefschwarz), or simply to languish on unreleased CDRs and ultra-limited pressings (DFA). The point is, though, whatever the reasons, the results of these remixes are invariably quality. I'll say this for Goldfrapp - musically, they give a potential remixer plenty to play with. That Tiefschwarz mix is blistering, though it sounds pretty dated; likewise the DFA mix, in spite of life being too short to listen to it's 12+ minutes more than three or four times. When I heard, at the end of last year, that former Radioslave Serge Santiago had been charged with the task of doing a nip-n-tuck on the 'Frapp's 'Ride a White Horse', I didn't expect much, and I didn't even consider tracking it down. I mean, Serge is a hero, for sure, but considering how many productions and edits he puts out, the number which are truly exceptional is, to me, pitifully small. 'Atto D'Amore' and 'Adventures in Failure' and his Roxy Music re-jig aside, my heart' has rarely fluttered at the sound of Serge. Until today. If the Paradise Garage (pictured) was alive and kicking right now, this would be ruling its dancefloor - Santiago toughens the drums, stretches the breaks and adds a monumental, arpeggiated synth line for maximum damage. The upshot is proper, futuristic italo for homos and homeboys, a re-edit in the purest sense, and, as you may have gathered from my tone, it sounds absolutely fuckin' tip top.

Download:
Goldfrapp - Ride A White Horse (Serge Santiago Re-Edit) // Mute