- The remix has always been an interesting concept, even if it's no longer a novel one. Sometimes though, it's nice when artists re-imagine their own work, rather than someone else's. It's like getting to read both endings in a Choose Your Own Adventure book. In this case, it's LA resident Joe Bickle, debuting on Riff Raff with four new tracks, including two versions of "Mighty Fine Glider."
In the original, an unobtrusive hi-hat and fat kick march alongside one another, leading the procession. Coupled with a jaunty bassline and airy pads, the overall effect is carefree, without feeling overdone. The "Less Girly Mix" does as expected, stripping back the bass and pads to create a more serious club affair. Both are nice, but probably destined to be filler material—for lack of memorability rather than quality.
The other two cuts fare better in this sense. "The John Blonde Warehouse" firmly establishes the summery mood that the original "Mighty Fine Glider" only hinted at, with vast, windy gusts of synth and calm bass plucks. "Grandiose Wheelie," on the other hand, is memorable if only for being a strange collage of sounds. Quasi-Latino percs meet psychedelic growls, 8-bit-like bleeps, and later on, deep, thudding bass. It almost sounds like two tracks smooshed together. Perhaps Bickle isn't content with reading just the one ending?
Tracklist 01. The Mighty Fine Glider
02. The Mighty Fine Glider (Less Girly Mix)
03. Grandiose Wheelie
04. The John Blonde Warehouse