Dr Chrispy 2019
VHS Remixed
Alternative mapping of a scientist’s travels – reimagined as the pilgrim’s progress by the worldwide clique of fans.
Perhaps, one year down the line since "VHS" saw the light of day, when the record’s creator called for kindred spirits to provide their view of his tracks, it was another text for Dr. Chris Boshuizen because he ended up with a few pieces retooled by multiple artists and a few, apparently less inspiring, left off altogether. The result is not a new angle that the original pieces have been looked at, but a deeper scrutiny of the album’s choice cuts which often reveal previously unfelt surface tension and depth, so what could sound repetitive proves to be riveting.
If originals took the listener on a flitting trip around the world, the remixes prefer to spend some time in a certain space and call the flock to join them there. That’s why Chrispy removed vocals from “Follow The Wild Geese” to make its defiant flight atmospheric, yet T-ROM infused the song with house groove to ground it before moving on to “Be There Soon” – one of the four versions on offer – and lay techno beats on the blissed-out line, whereas B Wiley softened the track in a slightly loungy manner, and The Stunt Man added retro samples to an even more slowed-down number. Still, it’s Manor Sound who captures the cut’s electropop expectancy most spectacularly, spilling the same penumbral excitement into “Vancouver” to render the rhythmical vista psychedelic, and it’s Always Romantic who takes “60 Miles Up” to the electronica-possessed dancefloor which Dr didn’t dare to explore, but Kevin Ochoa pours trance and tranquility in there, rocking the room in preparation for “Sleeping In Tokyo” – the pinnacle of this dive into the ’80s vibe.
Synthapex’s “Muromigawa” may not impress at the start, yet once the piece has gained momentum, it becomes a centerpiece of the remixes’ collection the international team found so alluring. Exerting his influence from Russia to America and beyond, Dr. Chrispy is turning into a scene force to be reckoned with.
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