Scrolling through new releases the other day I came upon “El Prologo Remixes Pt 1.1” by Affkt and Danny Fiddo, a record which seemed notable only for its superstar remixers, Ricardo Villalobos and Luciano. How did two fresh-faced producers with scant discographies on a new label, Barraca Music, snag these giants (and Radio Slave on the digital version) for remix duty? Listening to the originals makes it obvious: The meticulously groomed percussion, sputtering drum breaks, Latin diatribes and blurred marimba progressions of “Points” and “Cartas Para Geisha” are the bread and butter of Villalobos’ and Luciano’s sets. Recently these masters have taken good care of their emulators (see: Sei Es Drum and Cadenza’s last 10 records), so a couple remixes for their new followers is very in character. Yet as this EP makes clear, reworking tracks made in your own image has its pitfalls.
Not one to be upstaged easily, Villalobos opts for a broad canvas of nearly 16 minutes to unveil his interpretation of “Points.” For the first six minutes he works largely within the scope of the original, almost as if creating a Villalobos-only edit for bewildering already disoriented Ibiza crowds. Swapping in signature crisp hi-hats, paring back overgrown percussion, and inviting the original’s mumbling Spanish speaker to ramble at length, he adds distressed synth blurts and overt drum machine abuse to truly mark his territory. Villalobos finally reveals his hand in minute seven, painting a pinwheel’s swirl of tone color with marimba mallets. Stretched and bounced against the track’s ever expanding walls, this rainbow whirlpool threatens to swallow clubs whole and leaves only a faint pulse to set the pace. As a bonus, its sumptuous rump is an effective tool for slathering melody across the next track you mix in.
Knowing he’ll never snatch the mad genius jester’s cap from Ricardo, Luciano seems content to keep the party moving with his remix of “Cartas Para Geisha.” Brushed snares and cymbals and cascading sub-bass rumble mark the biggest differences between the versions — all textbook Luciano and not vastly different from the original that cribs from the same tome. Only the reversed marimba line lapping at listeners’ toes moves beyond Luciano’s presets, and arriving so late it’s almost not worth mentioning. Villalobos would have been in the same boat had he not driven “Point” off the path so studiously paved by Affkt and Fiddo. This is hardly a bump in the road for “El Prologo” fans who presumably adore its forefathers as well, but more skeptical buyers may justifiably feel they already own tracks of this ilk. Despite Villalobos’ prismatic wormhole (which is worth a download if nothing else), “Remixes Pt. 1.1” merely connects the dots between obvious influences and official endorsement.
