Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[ download ]
This remix of the title track of French house musician Kavinsky’s recent Nightcall EP sounds like a cross between the Hi-NRG dance pop that the production team of Stock Aitken Waterman cooked up in the late 1980s and the theme from The X-Files.
In its original configuration, “Nightcall” is a mid-tempo synth-pop number somewhere in the neighborhood of Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” The lead vocal is handled by Lovefoxxx from CSS, who trades vocals with a heavily vocoderized Kavinsky throughout the song. It plays like a seduction scene between a sweet and naïve girl and a seedy sort who may be up to no good.
Remix artist Robotaki amps up the beats and layers the song in synth effects, recalling Stock Aitken Waterman-helmed hits for the likes of Dead or Alive or Bananarama. He also removes Kavinsky’s processed voice entirely from the proceedings, turning the song into a one-sided conversation between Lovefoxxx and a whistling synth line. Without the male vocal counterpoint, Lovefoxxx’s vocal takes on a more wistful tone, and when the song breaks into a ‘70s style synthesizer solo at the midpoint the whole thing becomes an exercise in disco euphoria.
Remixes sometimes can feel like pointless exercises to pump up a single to EP length, but that’s not the case with “Nightcall.” Robotaki takes a strong original song and transforms it into its completely different, but equally strong, Hi-NRG looking glass reflection.
(50 votes, average: 8.48 out of 10)
Loading ...
Site designed and hosted by 
November 25th, 2010 at 12:29 am
Thanks Brad you have me dancing at night!
December 15th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Love Kavinsky! Thanks mate! Do you know other artists like him? I only know Danger and the not so famous Dorian D -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVJq8g7XWzo
December 25th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
What genre is this? It’s kinda Justice-ish and I really love those funky basses and the overall groovy feeling. :O
December 26th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Hey Tzibo… this track is a little hard to pin down in terms of genres but I’d suggest checking out some of the many great blogs out there which cover the intersection between electro-pop and indie dance music.
Two of my favorites are:
Discodust: http://discodust.blogspot.com/
Waves at Night: http://www.wavesatnight.com/
Enjoy!
January 24th, 2011 at 6:25 am
This is Bangin’! Love this website thanks
February 28th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Tzibo, check out the blogs One Track Mind listed as well as Stoney Roads and Too Many Sebastians. Both of them recently blogged about Robotaki’s new remix of Chilly Gonzales’ You Can Dance. Great remix.
http://www.stoneyroads.com/robotaki-x-chilly-gonzales/2011/02/28/
http://toomanysebastians.net/2011/02/28/chilly-gonzales-you-can-dance/
October 4th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
In case any of the previous posters on this track get followup comments, want to mention that a Kavinsky track, Nightcall, is the intro song in the new movie, Drive. It sets the tone for the whole film, so much so that it’s like the director made a movie around the song. excellent.