It is fair to say that Ecce Shnak makes challenging, uncompromising music. But then, when did anyone interesting and exciting, anyone boundary-pushing, anyone who makes a difference, ever come from the realms of comfort zones and conformity? They push boundaries simply because that is what boundaries are there for. They should be pushed… they must be pushed… they will be pushed
And what is interesting about the new release of “Prayer On Love,” is that having put it in the hands of producer Madison Mars (who has remixed everyone from Pink to Armin Van Buuren, Shaggy to Sting) for a sonic reinvention, the result is a long way from the original. Which, of course, is the whole point.
If the original seems to brood and groove along on ornate riffs and a strange but rewarding blend of melodic vocals and angular sonics, now those angles have been smoothed off. Running on a disco-infused clubland beat, rather than being a song where the sonic elements are opposites that attract, now everything runs in perfect harmony. I’m not saying one is better than the other; I will say it proves that a great song is a great song in any form it is presented, and of course, it reminds us that the story of any song is never finished.
Of course, this isn’t the first time they have had their art-rock meets post-everything sound rendered into more clubland vibes. But in the hands of German DJ-producer Eskei83, “Jeremy, Utilitarian Sadboy” seemed to go the other way. Yes, the beats are certainly dancefloor-oriented, but this is the dance floor that plays host to the likes of KMFDM or My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, a place where the creative chaos is ramped up into an incendiary, intense, adrenaline-fuelled, math-metal, clubland experience. The “Kill ‘Em Remix” is perfectly titled.
It is in keeping with a band that effortlessly pushes boundaries with their music that their remixes do the same. What is so telling here is that, in the course of just two such reimaginations, they push out even further and capture in a Trojan horse-like fashion, even more extreme sonic realms, ones that were, until now, perhaps out of reach.
Is there no path that they will not follow to its (il)logical conclusion? It seems not.
Shadows Grow Fangs debut EP
Backroom Sessions live EP
Jeremy, Utilitarian Sadboy
Prayer on Love
Ecce Shnak – Katy’s Wart [Extended Feelm Version]
Ecce Shnak – Katy’s Wart [Animated Music Feelm Version]
