Remote

http://www.myspace.com/remotektdj
2003: this a really important record, a witness to its time: Astroglide, considered as one of the best maxis in 2003 by the press and DJs alike. Then the incredible first EP by Henry Goes Dirty, Seb & Eric’s side project, citing Sonic Youth and Syd Barett as well as Phuture as influences. A bizarre mix of electro-pop-rock revealing the roots of what is now REMOTE’s identity: a totally personal appropriation of current trends tinged with a certain independent romantism. In 2005, the duo reforms as Jenny Goes Dirty for their first EP on kill the dj. A collaboration with Jennifer Cardini for a cold synthetic cover of Elli & Jacno’s tragic/classic track: “Amoureux solitaire”. Romantism [once again], and a slap in the face. Then Get A Real Job under the name Remote. The maxi is played and praised by Tiga, James Holden, Tiefschwarz and Ivan Smagghe, and Teaser – one of the tracks on the EP – becomes a timeless underground anthem. Now is the time of Dark Enough. The first album for a music originally meant to be made for maxis. And it damn works! Difficult to talk about as it is more something one feels in the guts. With a voluntary opaqueness, against the tide of trendiness, they play it heavy and slow, the exact opposite of the light fluffy minimalist clouds. This is a storm we are talking about… and Carpenter is not far off. Dark Enough is about techno and disco meeting on a same dancefloor. The choice is one of a certain roughness, anchored in the ghetto sound of Detroit. They actually explain it very clearly: “We tried to make a techno that is contemporary, but which doesn’t leave behind its acid house and techno roots, while not giving in to the easy void sound design or minimal flourishes. Dark but not cold. Hard but not insensitive.” REMOTE Dark Enough (Kill The Dj / Nocturne) Black sleeve, ironical title and suitable sound. Remote IS Kill the Dj. Kill the Dj is the label linked to Yvan Smagghe and Chloé that built its notoriety during the golden years of the Pulp club, when the night was synonymous with subversion, the club was the vector of a certain philosophy of insubordination à la virtuosic anti-phrase flyers like « we’ve seen worse » when it’s time to acknowledge that we haven’t seen better since. In the same spirit a black monolith comes at us with a mocking title signed Remote and harboring Seb and Eric, who also served under the name of Henry Goes Dirty. Remote sounds like the result of mutant dancefloor generated on a sinister night by Plastikman at the time of Consumed and an intensely blasé Smagghe. Minus times minus is plus, and in this case it’s even sparkling. The proof ? « Teaser » a bomb club on sedatives that came out in 2006 on which you have surely dismembered. The rest is black, pitch black, until bitter euphoria. From the acid grimacing « Veron » to the tumulary « Dark Enough », « Allow Steady », « Sinister Boogie » and their spectral voices on through « Hardstick », the throbbing hypogee of the record. So, Dark enough ? Too killer.