Disco Pastel Pop Go
Having delivered the amazing Mercurial (see The Electricity Club review previously) earlier this year, the pastel-hued Elisabeth Elektra has been busy working her remix talents on ‘Crystalline’, one of the standout tracks from that debut album.
On the original version, ‘Crystalline’ offered up fractured, icy pop. Its plucked notes giving the composition an earthy, grounded appeal against gentle beats.
Meanwhile, ‘Crystalline’s evocative lyrics revolve around strong themes of water (“As the waters rose/I fell in to your depths”). This new remix gives it a disco pop makeover, resulting in a groove-packed slice of electropop joy. The new mix, which is fully Elektra’s vision for the track (“My very first demo of the song was really upbeat and this version is closest to my original vision for it”) also employs a colourful new video to accompany it.
Influenced by French Electro and artists such as Chromeo and Hercules & Love Affair, there’s also something reminiscent of Princess Century at work here (particularly the de-tuned visuals of the video). But the chief inspiration for Elisabeth Elektra appears to be LA dance teacher and choreographer Ryan Heffington’s instagram live ‘Sweat Fests’.
“At the height of the lockdown, everyone was so anxious, and yet each day Ryan Heffington was showing up to do these joyful, transcendent free dance parties” commented Elisabeth for Louder Than War this week, “They were a much needed injection of positivity and community. I wanted to create something that fit the energy of those parties.”
The upbeat and euphoric result offers a joyful respite from the current gloom and political turmoil that seems to be engulfing everyone’s lives. Mixed and mastered by James Cunningham, who worked on the record-breaking BTS album Map of the Soul, ‘Crystalline’ offers pastel pop beats that belong in everyone’s winter playlists.
‘Crystalline (Elektra’s Dance Mix)’ is out now: https://smarturl.it/ElektraCrystal
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