- This sexy ballad becomes a day-glo house banger thanks to the former member of The Knife.
- "Cheap string lights on / Put The Knife on / rolled back eyes," goes the chorus of Mehdi Bahmad's debut single, "Rouge À lèvres" (that's lipstick) from 2018. It's a steamy song about genderqueer romance sung in Bahmad's adrogynous voice (and his remarkable falsetto). Someone must have tipped Olof Dreijer to the Knife namedrop, because two years later the Swedish producer has casually released a remix that gives "Rouge À lèvres" the sinuous and elastic backing track it deserves. Dreijer's remix carries itself itself with the bouncy, neon-streaked feel of the best Oni Ayhun tracks. The drums amble while the synths bubble up around them, a hectic arrangement that snakes around Bahmad's voice. Dreijer's treatment takes away the Weeknd-style alt-R&B production of the original and replaces it with a day-glo house beat that makes Bahmad's vocal style and provocative lyrics come to life.
Tracklist01. Rouge À lèvres (Olof Dreijer Remix)