Khruangbin - Mordechai Remixes (2 xLP Vinyl)

  • Sale
  • Regular price €36,00
Tax included.


The art of the remix has been around for several decades, from the fervid imaginations of JA pioneers like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid or King Tubby to the disco enthusiasts of New York, such as Tom Moulton, who bequeathed us the modern iteration of the remix and provided a template from which most remixers still work.


Moulton's first commercial remix, a reworking of BT Express' appropriately-named 'Do It 'Till You're Satisfied', which stretched it from three minutes to a luxurious five, assisted the band in securing its first Billboard R&B Number One, as well as providing a pathway for remixers like Walter Gibbons, Larry Levan, Richie Rivera and Tee Scott, to completely reinvent the concept of a remix (and in some instances, deconstructing the idea of what comprised a song). It has subsequently been used as a marketing tool, a dancefloor-devastator, a gimmick (both cheap and expensive) or even as a way of reaching a different audience (think Tori Amos 'Professional Widow').
Khruangbin are no slouches when it comes to the remix themselves. They've been reworked before, in 2016, with the highly collectible EP on Boogiefuturo. But this time, they're taking it a step further with an album dedicated to the art. Entering the tight-knit world of a Khruangbin song can be a little daunting. They have created this entire universe in which the trio seem to function telepathically in the way the music is composed, arranged and played. To mess with their delicate eco-system can invoke feelings similar to that of an unwanted guest crashing a good-time party. We write our music to be interpreted; this is another wonderful interpretation of the music, reassure Khruangbin. There is something very vulnerable about letting others work on your music. But through the correspondence with the different artists, we gained a bigger connection to the songs themselves.


The choice of remixers for this album is neither arbitrary nor accidental. They're not names picked randomly out of a hat or chosen via a throw of the dice. All have some connection to the band, sometimes personal friendships, musical connections, or simply mutual musical appreciation. Harvey Sutherland and Ginger Roots have both toured with the band, Kadhja Bonet and Ron Trent had their own mutual fan club going on, Knxwledge sampled 'White Gloves' on a recent mixtape, Natasha Diggs and Soul Clap's Eli's are recent buddy-ups, Quantic is a mutual friend of Bonobo (crucial in the KB origin story), while I've known Laura for number of years; plus she is also godmother to one of Felix Dickinson's kids. Doesn't get much more intimate than
that, right?


Some of these remixes were specifically made so you can dance your ass off while getting down to the Khruangbin sound, while some might better be appreciated horizontally with headphones on, wearing fashionably loose clothes. The choice is yours. But all were made with love and respect for Khruangbin. “A good remix deconstructs, recontextualizes, or simply extends a good time, say the band.

Amen and out.





Khruangbin are funky force of nature. The American group with the Thai name are phenomenally creative, with the past two years alone bringing their break out album - 2018’s ‘Con Todo El Mundo’ - a dub re-casting, a full EP alongside Leon Bridges, and even an in-flight playlist generator.

All that activity hasn’t dulled their pen, however – ultra-minimalist and hugely suggestive, new album ‘Mordechai’ is a triumph of poise and rhythmic purpose, gently nudging their songwriting in fresh directions while retaining the intoxicating elements that made ‘Con Todo El Mundo’ such a stellar word-of-mouth success.

Opening gambit ‘First Class’ is a glacial introduction, all tone and texture, it’s cool, calm, and clear waters the perfect birthing pond for Khruangbin’s next creation. ‘Time (You And I)’ returns to familiar funky ground, yet with a neat twist – inspired by Japanese cinema, there’s a cinematic bent to their narrative songwriting thrust.

‘Father Bird, Mother Bird’ overwhelms in undulations, while ‘If There Is No Question’ beguiles with a gnomic, almost zen-like sense of peace. ‘One To Remember’ incorporates subtle dub influences, the vast possibilities of the echo chamber used to refine their palette following last year’s ‘Hasta El Cielo’ project.

‘Dearest Alfred’ has a sombre sense of belonging, while the guitar pirouettes on closer ‘Shida’ contain some Middle Eastern flourishes, billowing and falling with soft restraint.

Speckled with cultural transfusion, Khruangbin’s funk is global in its pursuit, but intensely refined. There’s little more than three musicians at work at any one time, meaning that highlights such as ‘So We Won’t Forget’ billow from speaker to speaker like smoke across a late night rooftop. It’s wonderfully suggestive, the restrained palette somehow suggesting entire worlds in the merest melodic flourish.

Intensely relaxing, wonderfully addictive, and ultra-mellow, ‘Moredechai’ is this summer’s sunset record.

By: Robin Banks


1. Father Bird, Mother Bird (Sunbirds)

2. Connaissais de Face (Tiger?)

3. Dearest Alfred (MyJoy)

4. First Class (Soul in the Horn Remix)

5. If There is No Question (Soul<br>Clap's Wild, but not Crazy Mix)

6. Pelota (Cut a Rug Mix)

7. Time (You and I)(Put a Smile on DJ's Face Mix)

8. Shida (Bella's Suite]

9. So We Won't Forget (Mang Dynasty Version)

10. One to Remember (Forget Me Nots Dub)

Companies, etc.
Distributed By – Ultra-Vybe, Inc.
Manufactured By – Dead Oceans
Copyright © – Dead Oceans
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Dead Oceans
Credits
Mastered By – Chris Longwood
Notes
Original tracks recorded, arranged and produced by Khruangbin and Steve Christensen. Mastered by Chris Longwood.
©&℗ 2021 Dead Oceans, Inc.
In association with Night Time Stories Ltd.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode (Scanned): 656605153018
Label Code: LC 29265

Standard black version. Includes Download Card. Gatefold.