I’m a big fan of remixes that replace the guitar drivelines and percussion entirely with synths. (The gold standard of this being Ra Ra Riot‘s remix of Young the Giant‘s “Cough Syrup.”) On these remixes, they are less tweaks to the original than internuncios of an alternate emotional world.
Take, for instance, Kisses’ remix of Haim‘s “Send Me Down,” and the way that the lines “You came back/back into my arms/like a heart-attack” hit in the original version versus in the remix. The heavily foreboding percussion of Haim’s take makes the sentiment feel like emotional jujitsu; whereas Kisses’ remix feels like the singer is about throw herself on the altar of love, convulsing at its power.
But nowhere is the difference more obvious than in the bridge where Kisses’ synths twinkle with such forlorn infatuation you can’t help but feel empathically tied to the track. That desolate twang in those few notes makes me quiver every time. That takes some skill and vision for producers to achieve.
If you like this track as much as I did and are looking forward to hearing more from Kisses, follow them on their SoundCloud (grab a free download while you are there! ) and like them on their Facebook.