Long term collaborators John Digweed and Nick Muir follow up on Island Hill’s stunning February 2023 album ‘Strangers In Paradise’ with a pair of remixes for its second single ‘1000 Lives’. Following an incredible Red Axes Remix of ‘Killer of Fate’ to accompany the album release in February, these two new indie-dance inspired reworks offer a unique perspective on the outfit’s inimitable pop-leaning sound, and follow a string of Digweed & Muir remixes of the same ilk, for the likes of Underworld and New Order, amongst others.
A ten-tracker brimming with vintage synths, blues guitars and psychedelic electronic themes, ‘Strangers In Paradise’ was born out of the ashes of Typhoon Lingling, and the 2019 ‘typhoon parties’ on the South Korean island of Jeju, where the aptly named Island Hill trio first met. Three years in the making, the album was picked up by John Digweed and the collective enjoyed their debut release under his highly-influential Bedrock Records; a massive feat for any electronic music act.
Taking on the album’s next single ‘1000 Lives’ John and Nick treat us to an unequivocally cool edit that champions iconic funk riffs and acid-laced synth-work, guiding the measured original into a dreamy 80s pop-inspired realm. Tethered to the roots of Island Hill’s blissful counterpart, the pair play on its calming vocal lines with beautifully psychedelic vocal chops and an intoxicating bassline. Proving its worth for the dance-floor, and to fully realise the track’s club potential, the British duo also treat us to a Dub mix that’s as bass-fuelled as it is celestial, removing its alluring vocal piece to unveil its intoxicating web of synth intricacies.
John Digweed and Nick Muir are famed for being two of the driving forces behind the progression of electronic music; their individual and collaborative discographies representing a labyrinth of timeless underground cuts. Whether they’re putting out edgy techno or trippy house records, John and Nick’s respective fan bases continue to grow with each new wave of electronic music lovers. Legends within their own rights, the pair are aficionados within the underground community and are responsible for producing some of the scene’s most iconic and storied records of the past few decades. Despite their extensive histories on the circuit, the pair’s outputs are as exciting and forward-thinking as ever and when they come together in the studio, we’re treated to a fantastic synchronicity of their musical nuances.
Island Hill – 1000 Lives (John Digweed & Nick Muir Remixes) are out now via Bedrock Records