- Ben Klock's remix of "Are You There"—a Wink track from 1998 that became a hit thanks to an insistent vocal snippet and some well-deployed breaks—first appeared in 2012 on his fabric mix, where it just seemed like an effective edit whipped up for the set. Two years later, it's re-emerged as an official remix on a special 20th anniversary package from Wink's Ovum label. Couching the vocal in a heavy techno beat, Klock lets the breaks dance across the surface like sparks on sheet metal. That, ladies and gentleman, is how you remix a classic.
The other remixes are a hair short of Klock's high standard, but they succeed for mostly the same reason—they respect the original and its most recognizable element, the vocal. Harry Romero contributes two shimmying house versions, replacing Klock's darkroom bump with a high-strung chord progression and some Theremin-like synths. ROD chips in with a relatively purist version that strips the original down to a blinking techno beat without even a hint of the its junglist references. Both are strong, but the package is worth the price for the Ben Klock's turn alone.
Tracklist01. Are You There (Ben Klock Remix)
02. Are You There (Harry Romero Remix)
03. Are You There (ROD Remix)
04. Are You There (Harry Romero Remix Dub)
05. Are You There (Acapella DJ Tool)