With the release of their critically and commercially successful sophmore album In Ghost Colours, the Melbourne, Australia-based act Cut Copy was put on the international map, thanks in part to a sound that deftly mixes and blurs the lines between psychedelia, synth pop and indie rock in a way that was club friendly and yet earnest and deeply personal.
Zonoscope, the Australian quartet’s third album — and follow up to In Ghost Colours — was a decided change in sonic direction, as the band wanted to evoke a sweaty, tropical and downright tribal feel to the material. And although I felt that the album was lacking, it did further cement the band’s reputation as an international pop sensation, as they were playing more extensive (and global) tours and larger venues.
Last November saw the release of the band’s fourth and most recent release, Free Your Mind which sonically may strike the band’s fans as a synthesis of the sound they’ve developed over their previous three albums — and you’ll hear elements of each album throughout; however, at points, the album manages to be some of the most straightforward house music they’ve released to date. In particular, I think of “Meet Me In a House of Love’” which is comprised of layers of shimmering synths, swirling industrial noises, thumping and undulating bass with Dan Whitford’s falsetto croon. And in some way, the track sounds as though it owes a debt to the old school house records of the late 80s and early 90s.
Interestingly, Modular Records receently released a deluxe version of Free Your Mind, completed with three previously unreleased tracks. And I think what makes a deluxe edition of an album with unreleased tracks so compelling is the thought of how different an album would have been with the inclusion of a previously unreleased song. In many cases, you can see why a particular song was left from the album — usually, the discarded track doesn’t quite fit the mood of the album or it isn’t as well written as the album tracks. And in some very rare instances, the discarded track should have been on the album and was somehow forgotten. You see in many ways, a deluxe edition of an album can show you what exactly the band and its respective label were thinking as they were finalizing the original edition of the album, and that can be revelatory, especially if you’re a a fan of the band,
Recently, the Melbourne, Australia-based band have enlisted several folks to remix singles from Free Your Mind. The TJANI to remix of “Meet Me In A House of Love” added hot flashes of cymbals, glistening synths, syrupy piano chords and swirling electronic bloops and bleeps and pairs it with Dan Whitford’s plaintive vocals and makes an old school inspired house track sound like a contemporary house track. Sonically, the remix is a marvel of modern production techniques while being a straight-up club banger.
The Miracles Club recently remixed “Meet Me In A House of Love” and their remix is comprised of hazily swirling samples, propulsive synth stabs, glistening keyboard chords at the hook and a tribal sense of percussion and pairs it with Whitford’s plaintive vocals to create a sweatier, primal version of house music that reminds me of the jungle house craze.