Alpines “Empire (Maribou State Remix)”
Alpines first broke onto the British dance music scene with a series of singles for […]
Alpines first broke onto the British dance music scene with a series of singles for Polydor last year—including a moody, peak-time Dark Sky remix that sent the duo’s vocal-pop stylings into gritty, London-at-2 a.m. territory. Returning on a self-released 7″ this month with “Empire” (artwork above), Alpines has commisioned its original track to be remixed by Maribou State, who turns it into a churning and effervescent production tethered to a four-to-the-floor beat. The use of rounded toms and crinkling percussion brings to mind Mount Kimbie and other early Hotflush releases, but it’s the introduction of a syncopated, Detroit-referencing bassline in the tune’s second half that reveals its intentions for larger dancefloors. The vocals taken from Alpine’s original tune aren’t necessarily our favorite part of “Empire (Maribou State Remix),” but with its gently floating pads and sharp sense of summer euphoria, the remixing trio’s production work makes up for just about any of our initial misgivings.
