Thursday, March 24, 2016

Throwback Thursday: Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)

For this week's installment in my Throwback Thursday series, it gives me great pleasure to reintroduce the world to one of the catchiest and most beautiful melodies, situated around some of the most infectious vocals and bumping basslines, Aeroplane's remix of Friendly Fires' "Paris." Simple soaring beauty propels Aeroplane's remix right from the start, with its subtle disco percussion and sprightly synth plucks. Add the depth of the bassline, and the track really starts to take off. The lightness and ethereal quality of Au Revoir Simone's vocals shoot "Paris" into the stratosphere, imbuing the track with a heavenly essence. The sheer magic of Aeroplane's mix seems to be utterly endless, whether it's the progressive playfulness of the melody and percussion, the sweeping atmospheric movement, the manipulated madness (starting at about 4:17), or the slow but steady release of tension with the final, exalted flourish (at about 6:34); everything Aeroplane puts into his remix exudes lush and rapturous elegance. If you are at all familiar with Aeroplane's catalog, this will come as no surprise to you, his productions are quite simply aesthetic beauty in their most concise and profound form.

I first came across his remix of "Paris" when he was the 500th DJ to do an Essential Mix back in 2010. In that mix (which lives up to his incredible standards of beauty), it was mixed with Flight Facilities' "Crave You" to create one of my favourite mashups ever. Find both (available for free download, courtesy the man himself), the full Essential Mix, and the recreated mashup, below. If I may further add two more suggestions of Aeroplane tracks that you simply must hear, I highly recommend his remixes of Gypsy & The Cat's "The Piper's Song," and The Human League's "Never Let Me Go." Get on board the Aeroplane of awesomeness and travel to a simpler, more beautiful time. SUPPORT AEROPLANE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER