Outlands: “Com Ocean” (Sacred Animals remix)

After releasing their punningly-titled EP earlier this year via quality tape label Chill Mega Chill,  Blacksburg, Virginia-based duo Outlands are prepping a digital version of the cassette set to drop September 20th. Along with that release,  the band has commissioned a series of remixes of “Com Ocean,” which will be available as part of the maxi-single October 8 via their Bandcamp.

One of these reworks is by Dublin producer Darragh Nolan (aka Sacred Animals), who has replaced Outland’s self-described “disco-noir” flourishes with an endlessly recurring synth arpeggio. Without beat-maker Mark Arciaga’s comparatively bright drum kicks and disco-tinged strings, vocalist Melissa Smith’s delivery gains new emotional weight. While “Com Ocean” was already quite dark to begin with, the track could still have found a home in the right club. Not so, here, where suspense hangs thicker than machine-made fog, and an inclination to dance has been replaced by a vague air of danger.

Look for Outlands’ new maxi-single October 8 via their Bandcamp

Written by Nathan Reese