The power of a good remix is to demonstrate the power of music overall. Whereas some exist to try and get an eight minute club dance track out of a chorus, there is the potential to change a song, or to convey the music in a different light.
New York-born LA-based rock band Slothrust (fronted by Leah Wellbaum, with drummer Will Gorin and bassist Kyle Bann) have released a remix of their single “Double Down” by Boston music producer Willy Beaman. To look at his history of collaborations, he’s worked with Nicki Minaj, Demi Lovato, Macy Gray and Kelly Rowland to mention a few. They’re not the first names that you think of when you try to picture the gritty introspective 90s rock that Slothrust has delivered in the past.
There’s no twelve-inch seven minute dance mix of the chorus on loop here. Beaman has transformed a rock song with pop sensibilities into a pop song with a rock mentality. The guitars are swapped out with synths and keyboards. The whistle is still there, but the guitar solo is now a more upbeat keyboard ditty.
The upbeat mood of the track, which serves to support its message of self-empowerment, gets amplified. Admittedly its source material also has a strong upbeat feel to it because of the whistling riff that appears throughout the original makes a reappearance in the remix. Leah Wellbaum’s voice works well with the remix too.
The only thing that’s yet to appear (at the time of writing) is a re-edit of the music video to the original mix of the track. If you’ve not seen the original video, then it’s recommended.
Double Down (Willy Beaman Remix) will be released on 1st March on Dangerbird Records. Slothrust have also confirmed a return to these shores for five UK headline dates from 22nd – 26th January. Check out the video to the original track below.