Lose yourself in Quiet Village’s dark, hypnotic remix of Agnes Obel’s “Stretch Your Eyes”

23 October 2017, 08:23 | Written by Luna Cohen-Solal

(Tracks)

(Agnes Obel)

Remixes are no piece of cake. Unless they fulfil a specific purpose, like adapting a track to the needs of DJs, they often don’t compare to the original, let alone surpass it. This is not the case with Quiet Village’ remix of “Stretch Your Eyes”, the opener on Agnes Obel’s latest album Citizen of Glass.

The British duo, formed of DJ Joel Martin and producer Matt Edwards, a.k.a. Radio Slave, replaces the strings on the original track with a dark, atmospheric pulse that perfectly complements the Danish songwriter’s vocals. Slow and ominous, the track holds off on the vocals for a full two and a half minutes and then proceeds to incorporate them into the existing soundscape in a cyclical, trance-inducing fashion.

If this were the soundtrack to a dream, you’d be walking through an immense deserted factory, tirelessly searching for the source of that bright, angelic voice rising above the soft industrial rumble.

The B-side features a stripped-down “Ambient Acapella” version of “Stretch Your Eyes”. Both tracks are out now on 12” vinyl on Phonica Records' Special Editions label as well as digitally.