Poliça – Kind (Boys Noize Remix)

by: Will McCarthy Oct 11, 2016

“Starchild,” the most melodic selection from Boys Noize‘s Mayday album, proved that Alex Ridha and Poliça make a uniquely mystifying combination. While their Mayday collaboration marked the first studio release between the German producer and Minnesotan synth-pop outfit, it stands out among both artists’ most enthralling works. Unsurprisingly, the two acts have shared a number of event bills since the release of “Starchild.”

Two months prior to the release of Mayday, Poliça released their own LP, the politically-driven United Crushers. The group has elected to release an EP of official remixes for “Kind,” one of their album’s more wistful cuts. Boys Noize is among the EP’s three remixers, which also include Fog and Taskforce. Subtly appearing a day prior to the EP’s release, Ridha’s reconfiguration of “Kind” almost plays less like a remix than a collaboration with Poliça.

Ridha’s thoughtfully-placed modifications of Channy Leaneagh’s vocals throughout a series of percussively driven dance loops adheres to the structural elements of a standard remix. However, Poliça’s influence is so fundamentally present in Boys Noize’s approach to the remix that it retains the essence of a collaboratively-formulated song. To complement – rather than overshadow – the original’s calmative nature, Ridha deviates from his signature aggressive stylings more dramatically than he has for any remixes since his revision of The Chemical Brothers’ “Swoon.”

Towing the line between Ridha’s characteristically high energy and Poliça’s opioid tendencies, the Boys Noize remix of “Kind” is elegant and deeply satisfying. Listen below, and support the remix EP for “Kind” here.