Catching Flies‘ debut album Silver Linings made waves last year, showcasing the U.K. producer’s poignant style and ability to convey complex emotions through electronic sounds. Now, as we approach one year since the LP was released, the project has taken on new life with Silver Linings Remixed. The new release features fascinating reinterpretations of the album from artists like Ron Basejam, Jehst, Blu, Andhim, Grandbrothers, Laurence Guy, and others. The new batch of songs honors the emotive tone of the originals while taking the music into enchanting new directions.
With the ambient, introspective nature of the original album, the remixes could have continued on that trajectory or changed things up, and we get to experience both approaches on Silver Linings Remixed. For the track “Opals,” for example, there are two remixes, from Analogue Dear and Andhim. On the first, Analogue Dear maintains the delicate, dreamy vibe of the original while tweaking the central melodic figures. Andhim alternatively keeps the structure of the original but adds a pulsing four-on-the-floor beat which blossoms in energy toward the latter part of the track. These two remixes showcase the myriad possibilities when working with such rich source material.
Part of the beauty of a project like Silver Linings Remixed is that not only do we get an influx of fresh, diverse musical input, but we also see a wide range of approaches to reworking the music. While the two aforementioned tracks experimented with the time feel and melodies, some of the other producers made different kinds of changes, like with the addition of rap verses from Jehst and Blu on “Yu.” The music is largely the same as the original but the vocal additions add a whole new dimension. On “Kite Hill Theme,” Freddie Joachim took the ambient original track and added a swirling funk groove as well as some resonant horn parts to give the song more melodic material.
One of the standout tracks from the original album was “New Gods,” which featured Oscar Jerome and Jay Prince. In the remix Ron Basejam gives the track a dramatic overhaul that maintains its prominence in the set list. He gives the track an infectious house feel that keeps the momentum moving throughout, taking us into a heavenly sonic universe of shimmering synths, vibrant percussion, and ethereal melodies for an exquisite musical experience.
Silver Linings Remixed succeeds because it doesn’t necessarily make the original album sound better or worse, but rather it gives it more depth, expanding the emotional lens through which we can experience the music. The remixes draw from the well of Catching Flies’ impactful ideas and sensibilities while enhancing its range of expression, making the new tracks equally entertaining in their own right. That is the sign of a truly effective remix album.
Silver Linings Remixed is available to download here.
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