Today’s the day — after months of planning and coordinating it’s finally here: the first Vehlinggo Presents release, Memoryy – Not Over You (The Remixes). Each artist is a Vehlinggo favorite who creates a particularly distinct take on Memoryy’s catchy original: Drinker, Highway Superstar, LGHTNNG, Von Hertzog, and Acidulé (AKA Tommy ’86). There’s also a great new single mix of “Not Over You,” the original of which appeared on Memoryy’s album Skeletons that I premiered last year here on Vehlinggo.
For the Vehlinggo Presents EP’s latest single, Highway Superstar has crafted a synth-pop remix that draws from the level of songcraft he’s shown on songs such as “Hunters” from his 2015 album Endgame and “Careful Shouting,” his track on the Kung Fury soundtrack, and combines it with the type of gigantic optimism you find on a St. Lucia record. (You first heard this on The Vehlinggo Podcast in April.)
You’ve previously heard the Drinker remix, which hit No. 1 on Hype Machine’s remix chart last month. It’s a dark, hypnotic, and pulsating number that recalls in some ways member Ariel Loh’s score for acclaimed indie horror film The Eyes of My Mother, which Waxwork released on vinyl earlier this year.
Philly’s Von Hertzog, who mastered the release, brings us to the rollerskating rink with a take on “Not Over You” that recalls the synth-pop and freestyle of Information Society, whose upcoming single he cowrote. It also touches a bit on his hip-hop background, which includes work with Ghostface Killah.
Dutch trio LGHTNNG infuse “Not Over You” with a compelling modern pop sensibility that’s laden with vocal experimentations and transpires in multiple heavenly movements — all in less than three minutes. It’s a bit of a beautiful pocket symphony, really.
Acidulé’s take is an Italo Disco/synthwave reading of the original that recalls the French artist’s own work (as Tommy ’86) on releases such as Disco Machine, and collaborations with and remixes for Sally Shapiro (and as Acidulé on more recent fare, such as “Fresh”).
Overall, it’s a fantastic collection of work by a talented group of artists. Everyone involved should be proud of what they’ve accomplished. I know I am!
What’s in store for the second Vehlinggo Presents release? Stay tuned.
