NEW Track: How To Dress Well – ‘Ready For The World (Starslinger Remix)’

Last year’s below-fi, spooky-white-boy ‘R&B’ project Love Remains by the Berlin-Brooklynite calling himself How to Dress Well (Tom Krell) was amongst 2010′s most curious projects. That’s not just because it sounds vaguely like Terius Nash’s estranged and troubled middle-child offspring singing into headphones whilst on special meds meets Burial* with an updated reverb plug-in and laundry bag of ambient noise loops – but as proof we’ve definitely entered the era of chucking this long disfigured term ‘R&B’ at just about every new, slightly-left-of-centre, Logic 9 enthusiast who might also have a copy of TP2.com lying around. After all, the act of being a hip, allegedly well informed music journalist is tough nowadays…

Now, eyes roll, but save that polemic for another post. What I will say however is that I did also happen to enjoy Love Remains for what it isn’t. There weren’t many other records that sounded quite like it (in the same month atleast, I mean this is internet time frames we’re talking) and props to Krell, it does contain some chillingly affective moments of woebegone expression over disturbing, cracked soundscapes. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s not an easy listen to begin with (purposely f**kery, disconcerted sound engineering or lack thereof) but a range of influences are buried in the mix and it’s definitely one to absorb yourself in, during some nocturnal hour where you’re contemplating weather or not a bread-knife is really the best option for a slit wrist.

This new refix though, hype it up one-time fam. The versatile twiddlings of UK producer Starslinger have whipped ‘Ready For The World’ into a more polished half-time stomper and given new life to one of Love Remains best cuts.

*Yes, can get tired of often citing ol’ boy as a reference point, but don’t front like he hasn’t fathered half these recent ambience-soaked babies out here now.