Live Review: Black Vanilla 'Smacks' (Alba Remix)

BLACK VANILLA has a long series of fantastic work under his belt and Sydney producers ALBA have noticed. The lads have remixed 'Smacks' and it honestly feels more like an exploration of electronica and house rather than a simple song to dance too.

The original mix for 'Smacks' borrows samples from hip-hop influenced tracks of the early 2000's. It begins with these samples and then dives down into a deep bass coated with vocals that simply could not have more reverb.

'Smacks' gives of a bit of an aggressive vibe; it has bite and the heavy bass and rigid synths express that as the perform alongside the vocals.

ALBA's remix stays true to the tracks original grit but focuses more on a heavy bass rather than sharp synths. The vocal track has been heavily distorted and turned down, making it a mere echo behind the melody that ALBA has created. The vocals still have that hollow sound that BLACK VANILLA created in his original mix, however with it being quieter, it is now drawn out of focus and plays a part in the melody rather than being a separate element of 'Smacks'.

The melody has become tame and sounds like a traditional house track, but ALBA's experimentation gives it a new power that thrives when held back.

Words by Lauren Payne

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