Review: This is by far and away the best thing James Holden's released for some time. Sounding not unlike a fusion of Steve Summers' Confused House project, Kelpe and Caribou (fitting, since he dons his Daphni guide to remix), "Renata" builds on a wave of fuzzy, crystalline synthesizer appreggios - underpinned by a lone drum machine - before unleashing some dizzying jazz drums. The Daphni remix takes the track in a different direction, creating a sparse, clicky, atmospheric beast that makes great use of Holden's loose live drums and some choice vocal samples. Steve Moore, on the other hand, opts to focus on the more beautiful elements of the original, turning it into a dreamy slice of synthwave bliss.
Review: Kate Wax joins James Holden's Border Community and fits right in instantly. Wax's is a dark, haunted take on pop music, with the kind of minor-key tones and drones that pervade her new home across its considerable legacy. While there's been a penchant for fuzzy production values in this kind of music this year, Wax instead has a refreshing airiness to her tracks without holding back on the elements. Where some of her contemporaries come off sounding stilted or just plain try-hard, Wax sounds assured and alluring in her execution of the cohesive idea that makes up Dust Collision.
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