Sleepdancing Remixes #2

Ragz Nordset - Sleepdancing Remixes

It's a source of great pride here at NuNorthern Towers that all the artists on our latest release are either fully paid-up Scousers or they have spent significant time living right here in Liverpool. And what better occasion to gather some of Merseyside's most exciting young producers than to remix the divine Ragz Nordset. Hailing from Norway but settling upon the Mersey, she is certainly the finest purveyor of future folk that you will find in these parts.

We loved the original version of Sleepdancing, but we couldn't resist the chance to hook up Ragz with three young acts who are at the cutting edge of a revitalised club scene in Liverpool and far beyond...

BBE Records affiliate Ghostchant gives us a gentle treatment that takes Ragz Nordset on a journey from enchanting folk into ethereal electronica. The dreamy intro showcases the lush strings and keys of the original before Ghostchant's trademark sound takes us into bass territory. Dub rhythms, piano hits and snatches of Ragz herself are echoed throughout the mix. The resulting electronic sway brings to mind Bonobo, Maribou State or Burial at his most lush and expressive. The 'We All Start Alone' mantra is chanted as the remix finishes bathed in warm organs. Heads will nod, feet will tap and hearts will melt.

After allowing Ragz and her hypnotic voice the space she deserves, Capac's remix flips into a shower of syncopated electronic drums and a thundering bassline reminiscent of the horn from a distant ship arriving on the River Mersey. Once the track has set sail it is supplemented by digital washes and a pulsating kick drum that gives the track a gentle energy. It eventually pulls into port amid a storm of glitchy vocals, a bed of dark bass and ever more intricate percussion that snaps, crackles and pops like a vintage Mark Bell production of Bjork.

Our final instalment of Ragz remixes comes from underground London born, Liverpool nightlife veteran Emerson Twin who serves up the most dancefloor-orientated number of the bunch. Ragz finds herself in the middle of a heavy stepper that sees her voice transformed as it skips between rasping basslines, hissing 303s and a feverish Carnival beat. This is what happens when bass culture meets sophisticated folk head-on.