Tiedye first came to my attention when they remixed the excellent Feist featuring "I Feel Electric" by Rubies, a silky Balearic dream of a record that came out all the way back in 2008 but has stood the test of time. Road Less Travelled is the Swedish duo's first release for Gomma - it follows up on their debut, which came out (home of that Rubies release) Italians Do It Better last year, though I have to confess I missed that.
"Road Less Travelled" has a steely soulful disco-meets-west-coast sound that feels timely in this post-Random Access Memories world. It's a little more grizzled than I was expecting - distorted bass rubbing up against fuzzy clattering drums, a jazzy organ freak-out and echoey vocals… Nothing like the laid back noodly cosmic disco of the Rubies remix. It all sounds a little bit like Adam Freeland got his hands on some new material by Still Going: expect something that feels like disco fed on sunshine and ecstasy then wrapped in plastic. It's good, but you're not sure if you should really like it.
The label clearly thought the same thing because American duo Still Going actually provide one of the two remixes. It's a nighttime LA cruise of a record, dark buzzing synths saw through the vocals whilst the drums are pulled back just a notch to create a something deeper. It's still pretty pop but not anywhere near the daytime radio of the original. Sadly it doesn't quite hit the highs of Still Going's own material - the best bits are where the duo let the melodies of come through and the beat drops out, both at the bridge and at the track's close, to create something golden and dreamy. I can't help but suspect they are saving their best work for themselves, but it's been so long since we heard anything new it's hard not to be disappointed.
DJ Kaos & Sonns provides the other remix, which actually takes the middle slot on the release. It is a little tighter than both the original and Still Going's take - not as dark as the latter but restrained in comparison. There's a warm, jacking feel to this treatment with a heavenly synth that gradually fights its way through a baseline that bubbles with acidic charm. The vocal is used sparingly but Kaos & Sonns seem more interested in drum rolls and echo, and I can't say I blame them.
According to the press release Road Less Travelled is out now on Gomma. That's probably just the vinyl release - the digital release on Amazon.co.uk currently has a posted release date of 20 September [affiliate link]. Stream the DJ Kaos & Sonns Remix below: