Artist: Hante.
Title: Fierce - Remixes & More
Genre: Dark Wave / Cold Wave / Minimal / Electronic
Release Date: 24th April 2020
Label: Synth Religion
Album Review
HANTE. is a one-women-project by Hélène de Thoury based in Paris. The last long-player ‘Fierce’ was released in January 2019 and has been followed by many live shows. The album was presented live on an US tour in April 2019 (together with BOX AND THE TWINS), in countless live shows all over Europe and in February 2020 in South America (with MINUIT MACHINE). Several other shows were already scheduled for spring 2020 - but as you know, the world turned around just shortly after HANTE. came back from the tour in South America. ‘Fierce - Remixes & More’ was released on 24th April 2020 and includes entirely new songs - ‘In Raptures’ and ‘RESPECT’ - along with six new remixes.
The release starts with the previously unreleased ‘In Raptures’. The song and video were released some weeks before - in the beginning of April. This song captures the mood of that time in a hardly describable, but perfect way. Just listen to the lyrics as they, accidentally capture the weird, uncertain, scary time period that we more or less suddenly happened to be caught in - “Do you feel anything at all? It’s in your skin / Your veins / Your veins and more // We all need a way / To forget / To get out / To get out of the rain // Can you feel it? // It all ends in Raptures”. The music itself accentuates the hauntingly scary, yet in a morbid way fascinating atmosphere. ‘Run, Lie, Cry’ keeps the theme, while becoming more up-tempo and beat heavier. Hélène’s deep voice builds a whole special world. And this song is no exception.
‘RESPECT’ is another song that, on the one hand, has general importance in its message, but also seems to predict the current events in the world as the protests against police violence and racism are going on worldwide - though this song was released way before the current events, and everyone is free to interpret individual meaning into the lyrics. The lines “You’re staring again / Don’t you think I had enough? [...] I’m just trying to be myself / To exist in this world / Show me some respect / If you blink I won’t be gone” tell a story that is continuing the soundtrack to the year 2020. The NEW SOUL mix of the song is soft and flowing, sound layers are building their own world, a bit dreamy and far away. The MILLIKEN CHAMBER Remix shows a stronger 80s touch and has a very strong Dark Wave dancefloor vibe - makes me miss these endless party nights so much right now. And the third remix of the song - the version by KONTRAVOID has more playful elements, is way more compact and has a strong EBM influence.
‘Serre-Moi Encore’ with the remix by HØRD is probably my favourite here though they are all so different, it is hard to say there is one. But this song and version, even being focused while writing this review, makes me close my eyes immediately and just get lost in that pure, distanced, fragile composition. Damn. This is beyond the worlds. The final third of the release is marked by three remix versions of the song ‘Wild Animal’. The FEE LION remix is just out of this world, a very creative and exciting approach to the song. Playful, barely tangible and exciting to listen to. The FRAGRANCE. remix is the version of the song that I would personally prefer to listen to on the dancefloor - electronic, structured, straight forward and engaging remix. The remix by AURA SHRED has a threatening, yet very experimental vibe and there is much happening which makes it pretty exciting to follow.
A remix release might not always seem as exciting as a whole new record, but HANTE. succeeded in putting together songs and remix versions which tell their own story, accidentally reflect current events and create a haunted world of Synth & Dark Wave in its whole perfection.
Tracklist
01. In Raptures
02. Run, Lie, Cry
03. RESPECT (New Soul mix)
04. RESPECT (Milliken Chamber Remix)
05. RESPECT (Kontravoid Remix)
06. Serre-moi Encore (Hørd Remix)
07. Wild Animal (Fee Lion Remix)
08. Wild Animal (Frangrance. Remix)
09. Wild Animal (Aura Shred Remix)
Line-up
Hélène de Thoury
Website
https://hante.bandcamp.com / https://www.facebook.com/hanteband
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10
Nastja
Comments powered by CComment