Lost Valentinos – ‘The Bismarck’

December 9, 2008 New Music Posted by: Matt Hickey 1 Comment

Lost Valentinos – The Bismarck (12″ Version) (mp3)

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Their stand-out 2007 single ‘17 Deaths’ showed a move away from their indie roots to embrace a more dance-oriented aesthetic and feel. Now, Lost Valentinos have made those dancefloor aspirations even more transparent with the release of their latest single ‘The Bismarck’ as a 12″ with a handful of glorious remixes.

The song itself is a great number that shows why crossing over to dance territory doesn’t necessarily signal a dissolution of artistic integrity. Whilst still accessible, ‘The Bismarck’ has almost as much in common with Can’s krautrock digressions as it does with modern dance-pop kings The Rapture. Dark and dense, the incessant beat keeps the song progressing through the moody mire they have concocted alongside reknowned Berlin-based producer Ewan Pearson. Without a traditional verse/chorus structure, the song is directed by the tight groove of the rhythm section that weaves its way between the different segments of the song. Fantastic.

Lost Valentinos – The Bismarck (Knife Machine Remix) (mp3)

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Knife Machine is actually Jono and Pat from Lost Valentinos in their electronic side-project mode. Their version introduces a straight up house beat, distorted synth bass and filtered break-downs that move ‘The Bismarck’ firmly into the realm of dance music. I’ll avoid making any solid comparisons to in-style French house remixes, though they do make for a good point of reference.

Lost Valentinos - The Bismarck (Canyons Remix) (mp3)

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The Canyons remix makes the original sound like something lifted off Swedish duo The Knife’s last album by adding an even more sinister electronic vibe to proceedings. A quality remix that genuinely adds to the original.