Mano Le Tough Changing Days Remixes
Changing Days, Mano Le Tough‘s debut album, threw listeners a curveball upon its release earlier […]
Changing Days, Mano Le Tough‘s debut album, threw listeners a curveball upon its release earlier in the year; compared to the breezy, upbeat singles on which the Irish producer (real name Niall Mannion) made his career, the record introduced darker hues, with many tracks featuring moody vocals by Mannion himself. The LP’s pop introspection was not especially club-friendly, so it makes sense that fans of his earlier dancefloor material should be appeased by some remixes. All three remixers here do a solid job, but because none provide a total transformation, mileage will likely vary depending on one’s reception of the LP.
Italian duo Tale of Us takes on “Primative People,” interweaving twinkling bells and a wonky, climbing synthesizer before the introduction of Mannion’s stark vocals. Its rhythm is kind of tinny, but Tale of Us compensates with an arrangement that’s brimming with anthemic potential. Dixon, meanwhile, takes a bumping disco-house approach to “Everything You’ve Done Before.” Like Tale of Us’ track, it’s underscored by bells, and again, vocals appear midway through. Both are isolated in a more elegant manner, however, and this adds considerable weight to Mannion’s mumbly voice. Finally, fellow Irish act New Jackson delivers a take on “Please.” Although the producer’s soulful croon is a little hard to take at first, the track’s chirpy melody makes it the biggest left turn here, transplanting the original to somewhere sun-dappled. All three pieces aim at the dancefloor, but none eclipse Mannion’s own proven strength in that department.