We begin with 猫 シ Corp and a remix of f a l l i n g. The original note…

We begin with 猫 シ Corp and a remix of f a l l i n g. The original note progression is pushed to the very back of the mix as the space between it and the listener fills with a swirling mist. Rain falls as spritely notes reach up toward the sky. The chiming bells of the original track filter through the background noise now and again, appearing as ghostly apparitions. A haunting voice sweeps its way across the soundscape. Rain falls, but 猫 シ Corp seems to keep a whisping atmosphere constantly in free fall. Gargantuan chords of sadness echo over to us from somewhere distant. The clean and crisp sound of the original track is completely decimated, and in its place an aching dystopian rendition stands. The spectral voice continues to its disembodied moaning through the dull and rainy world until everything crumbles and disappears 

Fake Fever takes a more structured approach to f a l l i n g. With the haunting trills of a female vocal being looped, we hear a voice calling out arbitrary numbers. The watery synths of the original shimmer toward the surface as a lone snare keeps a robotic rhythm. We dive suddenly into a steady rhythm guided by a infectious bass section. Here Fake Fever takes the driving metal beat of w i n t e r q u i l t 愛が止ま’s original and reimagines it in a sort of relaxed lo-fi pop format.

The VANITAS命死 remix of h i m begins with murky sounds. Glittery pulses rise up from the darkness. Gradually the original melody is fed through a bell-like instrument and heavily distorted guitars. It’s not long before we are enveloped in heavily hammering double bass pedal hits and aggressive snares. The percussive elements seem to win precedence over the melody while they play, as if they are too powerful. A whining guitar snakes it’s way through the incessant drumming until the percussion falls out. A grainy bass sound apes the melody of the track as tension slowly builds again. VANITAS命死 reinvents the track with divergent pathways in and out of the original. The destructive nature of the percussion blasts through relentlessly, borrowing the metal-infused characteristics of the source material.

Eventual Infinity‘s remix bursts into life with with glistening production and rattling hi-hats. A different production style than the original album, the artist sideswipes at the listener with bombastic electronic bleeps and heavy basslines. The song soon falls into a euphoric slumber, with heavenly bells drifting across a pristine soundscape. Sounds of nature intermingle with an unnatural fizzing. All falls away, absolute silence before a heavy trap beat brings the song thundering back in. Eventual Infinity employs an impressive amount of variety, in a remix that almost sounds like what the original would’ve been if metal music hadn’t been an influence.

First Kings remix of i n f e c t i o u s begins with a combination of funereal stringwork and industrious noise. The pure nature of the strings smoothing the constant whirring and grating of what sounds like stone or rock. The sense of an epic or fantastical storyline is carried over into this remix. First Kings melds electronic sounds with organic strings in much the same way that w i n t e r q u i l t 愛が止ま does. Distorted fizzing pushes through a lethargic rhythm 

Fire-Toolz takes the reigns for the next iteration of i n f e c t i o u s. A carnivalesque chorus of bells and deafening piano notes seem to whir in motion like a wind up carousel. Soon a bassline joins in, heading up and down with a nauseous consistency. The slow build is released into a fiery barrage of metal drums and screaming guitars. A solo soars above the rest of the instrumentation like some sort of phoenix. The incendiary power only lasts a short while, as Fire-Toolz plunges us into a flurry of glittering bells. As usual, the artist pulls no punches, giving just a short insight into the creative power they possess.

THUGWIDOW‘s remix of v a i l floats in effervescently. A pulsing laser wangles its way through the airy pads. A sleek and crisp jungle loop breathes itself into existence. The tone is sombre, much like the artist’s own work, but the detail of what has been created is infallible. The way THUGWIDOW patiently allows the track to take place almost seems effortless. The loop slowly disappears under a wave of low frequency. Just as the main melody of the original begins to appear, a structure-shattering bassline begins. And he begins to build again, the jungle loop warps and whirs its way through until it explodes. The high-frequency parts shatter like millions of shards of glass over the bassline. The cacophony of percussion is then laced with sinister bells as the intimidating nature of the original has a twisted, dubby bassline breathed into it. At the very end, thick pads seep into the remnants of what is left like a light grey mist.

Zer0れい is the next artist to give us a warped look into the world of H Y M N S. He begins with a slow pace and methodological percussion. Visions of faceless dukes and ladies taking part in a ghostly Tudor dance in some dusty forgotten castle immediately appear. The power of the instruments the artist employs is undeniable. The slightly detuned hum of a guitar with the texture of a bagpipe, the almost seasick organs that waver and wobble. A relentless bass drum hammers away at the track, keeping it hunkered down in a dismal and dingy feeling as the walls close in. Until the artist allows the listener to be free, and they make their way out into a forgotten world to the sound of lost echoes.

Sangam takes us into the last pair of remixes as a disjointed sample flounders its way into the soundscape. The artist cuts a certain part of the original out and forces it to repeat itself in a cold and lonely melody. Thick, membranous pads haunt the space behind it, at one point an angelic choir sound shoots up higher than the rest, only to be lost once again. A strange, deep warping sound repeats itself as Sangam relinquishes ownership of the listener safety, leaving them trapped in a monochrome world of isolation. The undulations of the sample seem to have a mind of their own, some sort of fragment of sentience desperate to find salvation in a strange and dismal atmosphere. The texture and emotions evoked are poignant and affecting enough that the track rarely switches up the pace, save for a more subtle and euphoric bit in the middle. A truly thoughtful and emotive reworking of the source material.

FM Skyline finishes off the remixes available on the cassette release of H Y M N S. A slightly pitched down loop of w o v e n’s main guitar melody is joined by a rhythmic bassline and a steady beat. The meshing of w i n t e r q u i l t 愛が止ま’s frail and crackling guitars with the artificial beauty of FM Skyline’s production style is a surprising match made in heaven. The guitars melody is joined at points by an infectious midi panpipe tune and a beautiful revolving solo of choir voices. The trebly hi-hats trickle in and out of focus as the steady beat of the bass drum and snare lead the listener up a logical pathway up until the music falls away.

The roster of artists take one of the most imaginative projects of last year and warp and encrypt even further still. Emblazoning different genres, tempos and atmospheres onto that strange world that w i n t e r q u i l t 愛が止ま introduced us to, we find that even the most unique of projects can be chopped, changed and rearranged for a further deep dive.

Listen to/purchase the full 24-track remix album here: https://aquablanca.bandcamp.com/album/h-y-m-n-s