This past February Basscoast announced they were giving away the petite-yet-powerful KORG VOLCA BASS. The only stipulation was that you had to “…make your mark [and] Try your hand at remixing these songs: Deeply, Prideless & Idiot Proof” by Portland’s Bass Queen Natasha Kmeto. The response was awesome! Basscoast received over 200 submissions. So awesome in fact, they started the Basscoast Music Label, releasing seven of the contest’s best tracks as their first EP.
Each song on the EP is great in it’s own way, the idiosyncrasies of each producer come through distinctly.For perspective I suggest listening to Kmeto’s originals first before the dubs.
Here’s what I thought of the remixes:
Natasha Kmeto – Prideless (Ryan Wells Remix)
Ryan Wells’ remix of Kmeto’s Prideless takes off with a shimmering, aquous sounding ascent, the rising tension climbing over a straightforward 4×4 beat. “I tried, I tried to fight it… but now I’m prideless”, sings Natasha as Wells builds the tension up once again, only to drop deep into a sultry bassline appropriately accompanied by a moaning vocal chop. Then, as if all that was a tease, percussion errupts and an acute acid line is unleashed. This song is sex.
Natasha Kmeto – Prideless (Slope Remix)
In this remix we hear the melancholia of Prideless. Sparse percussion skitters across a cavernous soundscape on which the ghost of Kemeto’s angelic voice makes evanescent appearances. A wailing horn, the call of a siren, beckons from a distance as the skeletal beat wanders forward. Finally, just when you start to feel despair, Slope fleshes out the drums and offers chords of hope…
Natasha Kmeto – Deeply (Atma & Rhythmicon Remix)
Amen! Atma and Rhythmicon pull a quick one and flip Deeply on it’s head, infusing the track with some incredibly fresh breaks, enseambled with a commendably big drum kit; the steel drums especially. With crescendos rushing forth at a breakneck pace, the controlled chaos of the situation is juxtaposed against Kmeto’s airy urge, “take your time on me,” a suggestion also challenged by the sweet key progression which suddenly echoes into emptiness.
Natasha Kmeto – Deeply (Project Pablo Remix)
A remix that burns like the olympic flame, sure and steady. The beat is so confident of itself it’s almost cheeky, though the multiple jazz-like synth melodies keep the vibe joyously playful. Picture a beach, you are with close friends and Project Pablo’s bassline comes through as warm as the crimson on the horizon.
Natasha Kmeto – Deeply (NentÈ Remix)
Rough around the edges, NentÈ’s remix is an industrial and a considerably dark sounding interpretation of Deeply. Kmeto sounds as ethereal as ever on this one as monolithic horns sweep across the soundscape’s shifting textures. A relentless dancehall beat, washed in a healthy dose of white atmosphere, crackle and fuzz, manages to stand tough amidst the noise and demands the listener to dance.
Natasha Kmeto – Deeply (Sergio Levels Dub Jack)
Deep enough to fuel any party well past midnight, Sergio keeps the levels tightly dialed in on this one. The effective 4 to the floor is arranged with jack surgical precision on top of the lusciously organic backdrop that seems to be larger than any warehouse I’ve ever been in. The beauty here is in the attention to detail with layer over layer of subtle modulation making Kmeto’s voice as dynamic as it is elusive.
Natasha Kmeto – Idiot Proof (Player 2 Remix)
As his moniker might foreshadow, Player 2 give’s Idiot Proof a chip-tune, video game vibe rework. Reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog, the tune moves at a half time step bombarding the listener with a maximal collage of ascending bleeps and neon synths; purple melodies that shine bright against Kmeto’s chocolate lyrics.
