aaamusic | On 19, Feb 2011

You know what? If it weren’t for the sheer bulk of remixes bogging things down, I would love this release.

‘Happy Days’ is a slick, scalpel-sharp cut of dark glam electro. The vocals are a sneering purr of gritty velvet, pouring themselves over killer synth loops that grind and throb. Right from the jostling intro with its busy melodies and heavy percussion, this track is addictive as heroin and luxurious as molten chocolate. Verse and chorus flow into one another, blending rock and clubbing electro dance perfectly to create an eroticised stomp. Even the jazzy instrumental section feels completely organic yet it too crackles with party-hard energy. By the time the last heady chorus fades from your speakers, you will have put on your glad-rags and headed out for some serious hedonism.

However, as is too often the case with electro-based single releases, we are then given an avalanche of remixes that occasionally add a new dimension but more often than not simply lead to listener fatigue. Misk’s tripped-out bassy remix with its phased vocal tatters makes me a bit seasick, and I can’t help but feel disappointed as it was the vocals that really made the original for me and dubstep, if I am to be frank, often sounds the same to me. That said, the stripped-down reggae-influenced dub of the Mskr-nt remix does hold some appeal in its raw, skittery percussion and seductive low-end throb, even if the jittery synth still doesn’t cut it all the way for me. Zero B pushes the mix into extremes, with tinny cymbal, high-end guitar snarls, and bass so subsonic it is nearly painful, while retaining the adrenalin slick rock-blues of the original to create a rather enticing dancefloor work. As for Downtown Killa, we are thrown into territory so masochistically abrasive yet listenable we touch upon industrial crossover, albeit in a much less shock-rock way. If we could ever coin “partystrial” or “indus-step”, this would be the pioneer. And Losers tow us into familiar electro-rock territory for those of us who enjoy a little Gossip in the evening, although this 80s-heavy reimagining feels a little too close to too-cool hipster attitude and as a result makes what is a great track a little bland.

So there we go: depending on your tastes you might take your pick of the remixes, but what cannot be denied is that Killaflaw should be a name on every DJ’s playlist, be they rock, electro, or anything, in the upcoming months, and to boot this track makes one hell of a blast to listen to at home.

Author: Katie H-Halinski