Arbeid Adelt – Death Disco Remixes

  • Share
  • A song by Public Image Ltd., covered in a New Beat style by Belgian avant-garders, remixed by a variety of nu-disco luminaries (and some eccentric inclusions). It’s amazing that this is not on Eskimo, but there you are. The Arbeid Adelt cover version of ‘Death Disco’ is certainly true to the New Beat vision. It’s heavy and plodding, barely musical, and full of gothic ambience, so much so that it hovers on the brink of being undanceable, although it does of course deploy the instantly recognizable ‘Death Disco’ bassline. It’s a unique piece of music to be sure, but not one that many people would want to play in a club. Todd Terje takes a very subtle approach. The sound, tempo and elements are all basically identical to the original, but reordered to have a dubby rather than a gothic effect so we end up with something that sounds like slow acid house more that New Beat. It’s an impressive display of what can be done with the nuances of production, but the end result will probably only appeal to disco DJs looking for mid-tempo curios as it just isn’t physical enough for most dancers. Optimus’ remix is entirely different. It’s at an electrohouse tempo, and it takes the bassline of the original and, well, turns it into an electrohouse bassline, which mutates the whole track into something satisfyingly stompy and sweaty. In other words, it’s quite decent electrohouse. Some will love the oddness of this package, but if oddness isn’t your thing you can safely ignore it.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Death Disco (Todd Terje Edit) B1 Death Disco (Optimus Deadly Dub) B2 Death Disco (Original 1989 Version)
RA