Track listing:
A1: R U OK (Marco Carola 2 Beats Remix) - 7:57
B1: R U OK (Troy's Like It Or Not Remix) - 6:02
B2: R U OK (Kasper Is OK Remix) - 7:13
C1: R U OK (JPLS 12mg Remix) - 6:36
C2: R U OK (Paco Osuna's WMC Remix) - 6:23
D1: R U OK (Tim & Camea Remix) - 6:05
D2: R U OK (Marco Carola 4 Beats Remix) - 6:57
Just when you thought it was safe to venture back on to the dancefloor, that strange guy with the sunken eyes and scary voice is up to his old tricks again!
Cleverly combining black humour with reduced micro-grooves, the title track from Ambivalent’s R U OK EP has become one of the most memorable tunes of the year to date, with the bonus accapella version coming particularly in handy during the messier parts of an evening. It’s only right then, that it reappears remixed and revamped for a fresh onslaught over the summer season.
Marco Carola offers up two versions of stripped down metronomic tech-funk. The 2beats remix is full of metallic, sliding efx and a pulsing subsonic bassline that keeps the track rolling forward while the 4beat remix takes everything up a level with a stronger kick, busy percussion parts and an altogether more urgent, peak time vibe.
Contrastingly, the Like It Or Not mix from Troy Pierce is a typically murky ride, with a scuttling 6/8 acid bassline that’s ripe for the after-afterhour. Dark as f**k, it plays with the cut-up vocal elements drenching them in a heavy reverb during this descent into the inferno. The Kasper is Okay mix keeps the tension at a maximum as the hypnotic percussive groove falls victim to the needle sharp hookline that slowly envelops the proceedings before drilling straight into your cerebral cortex.
The trademark JPLS elastic bass is in full effect on the 12mg Remix. The vocals are rinsed out beyond recognition and a tight hihat/snare pattern keeps the warped, original synth line in check as it drifts across the sparse, alien landscape. The Paco Osuna’s WMC Remix is the kind of hi-octane affair we’ve come to expect - full of twisted bleeps and machine gun snare rolls, everything works towards the almighty breakdown that sends shock waves across the dancefloor.
...and if that’s not enough, check out the deep, bass heavy version ! from Tim Xavier and Camea. With cool, subliminal fx and jarring claps that resonate into the darkness as the kick drum motors onward, it’s raw techno at it’s best.
