- The undisputed remix master outdoes himself with a 40-minute effort.
- Let's get the obvious out of the way: Ricardo Villalobos' remix of Ela Minus and DJ Python's, "Abril Lluvias Mil" is over 40 minutes long. This makes it—as far as my extensive Discogs clicking can find—his longest ever track (although the unreleased "Bionic Sad" is four-minutes longer). But "Abril Lluvias Mil," and the accompanying remix of "Kiss U," are more than novelty exercises in endurance. This is vintage Villalobos, reminding us that when he gets into the zone, no one can turn out a remix like he can. I mean, who else can claim Beck, Kid Paul, Shackleton and Depeche Mode credits? His best remixes tend to gut a track, making it feel like an archaeological dig unearthing the lost stems. And when he really finds his groove, he isn't afraid to go long, giving an idea the space it needs to fully develop (and possibly an additional 10 minutes more). This is, after all, the guy who transformed a Norwegian folk record into a half-hour minimal symphony.
Villalobos does both these things on his ♡ remixes. He leaves behind Python's deep dembow and focuses on Minus's vocals, turning her already melancholy lyrics sadder and stranger. Of the two, "Kiss U," at a breezy 13 minutes, is more accessible. The original reaches cruising altitude atop a pillowy cloud bank of chords and Cocteau Twins-esque vocals. The remix puts the track into emotional freefall—Minus is slowed and warped until her voice sounds like bass stabs while Villaobos lays down a squishy Rominimal-style loop. All that's left from the original is a refrain—"I'm not falling down / I'm not letting go"—that comes across as wishful thinking in the back half of the track as the whole thing begins to crash land as the drums slip out of time.
The flipside is darker and, like the best Villalobos' long songs (e.g., the epic "Fizheuer Zieheuer"), he starts in medias res with an anxious synth bleep radiating late-night energy. As the track unfolds, two phrases from Minus's vocals are looped over percussion that moves in crests and troughs, occasionally snares and hi-hats stacked so closely they sound like they might teeter over, at other times, disappearing entirely. The melodies and bassline move in tightly coiled patterns, changing only slightly every few minutes.
It's easy to imagine sceptics asking what's the point of a dance track this long. And while these aren't tracks DJs will likely play—or any DJs not booked for Club Der Visionaere on May 1st, anyways—in anything close to their original lengths, "Abril Lluvias Mil" is closer to a tune you can put on, getting lost in the subtly changing textures with each listen. But there's also something more pointed here. In an era when dance music is getting shorter, Villalobos is making hs own statement. This is a producer who has made his name off long songs and even longer DJ sets and, for all he cares, let them eat loops—he isn't going to change his tune.
Tracklist01. Kiss U (Ricardo Villalobos Remix)
02. Abril Lluvias Mil (Ricardo Villalobos Remix)