Vanilla Hammer - Cro Magnum (Karen Gwyer remix)

Yesterday saw the release of Vanilla Hammer’s ‘Retreat’ EP on Kaleidoscope. The label – run by electro-brutalists patten – have wasted no time in getting a pair of remixes of the EP out. This one comes courtesy of US-born vocalist and labelmate Karen Gwyer.

If Burning Sand – the opening track on ‘Retreat’, which we covered on Dummy a few weeks back – conjured up images of searing desert landscapes, the mood here is comparatively ice cold. Gwyer polishes up the rawer, tribal atmosphere of the original with steadier, dampened beats and a more stripped back mentality. The smoothly constructed rhythms are permeated by continuous flows of sound conjuring an atmosphere akin to being trapped on a hilltop in the midst of an unrelenting snowstorm. The overall effect captures a pervading sense of dread and isolation.

The first physical releases of Vanilla Hammer’s EP all went last night (granted there were only five cassette tapes available, but that still counts as a sell out). Fortunately, you can grab the mp3s here. Head to Kaleidoscope’s soundcloud to download this remix and another from Sculpture, as well as a bouncy original from Karen Gwyer.