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Having worked alongside the likes of Armin Van Buuren, the Freemasons, and Bob Sinclar, it was a bold move for Sophie Ellis-Bextor to stray from the realm of dance music. Wanderlust was the labors of creative Sophie and Ed Harcourt. No traditional pop songs were found on the album, but the songstress opted for a new acoustic sound with the help of Harcourt. I loved the new direction and was thrilled when Wandermix was announced last month. I did have my doubts about the remix album, particularly if folk songs could transition into dance friendly tracks, but with Roy Kerr remixing select cuts, I had faith.

Last week, we made “The Deer & The Wolf (Role Reversal)” our track of the day and it’s still holding up pretty well. Its piano and guitar strum introduction usher in a wave of a dance nature. Meant for the clubs it’s not, but the beginning of Wandermix is for a chilled out evening. The nature of the creatures mentioned is toned down – just casually mentioning they’re one and the same with Sophie and whom I can only presume is Harcourt switching vocals.

The transition into “Cry to the Beat of the Band (Break Up)” was so sleek and smooth I failed to notice the song changed without much effort. A soft repetitive beat leads into an angry melody with spliced vocals reveal “he’s gonna break [your] heart”, a departure from the original where Sophie proudly declared moving on from someone. “Heavy is the head that wears the veil,” Sophie breathes before a choir cuts her off, their monosyllable chant breaking off into the next cut.

The warning of the inevitable heartbreak leads to an epiphany about the journeys of love. The heart of the mix, “Wrong Side of the Sun (Phoenix Rising)” leads to a prayer for strength. As Sophie reiterates her prayer with distorted verses, Kerr interchangeably switches up the role between a prophet and a phoenix while keeping the strings from the original version. The song has its pauses directly in the middle, reflecting on its travels from love into unknown territory, or in this case, a desert before it carries on.

“Runaway Daydreamer (Secret)” is a dive into the unknown, with the Brit escaping into a secret place. Secret is more of a pop tune that contrasts its predecessors. The brooding nature is lost, having gone away with Phoenix Rising but the wanderlust remains. The precise nature of the secret is never mentioned, but the key to finding is to “runaway”, beckoned by the singer. Departure is a theme in the song, both in the original and Wandermix version, and the only solution is self-discovery. The accompanying music video (down below) to the original mix is a dreamlike state with Sophie in various places, daydreaming of a secret escape.

My biggest fear was how “Young Blood (Kick It)” would turn out. The demo was released a year ago and its studio mix retained the same qualities, namely a solemn piano tune. Quiet bass licks introduce you to the lead single of the original album, coming down from the high that was Secret. Kick It is the perfect end, the repetitive “it’s alright, you give me young blood” sung throughout solidifies that the time has come to an end.

Wandermix takes you on a trip, enchanting visitors to venture into the world and never lose their sense of exploring the universe. Following the same folk path, the remix album introduces the concept of electronic music as an added feature, keeping in tune with the blueprint of self-discovery.

Wandermix is available on the deluxe edition of Wanderlust on digital. Own it as a continuous mix on vinyl!

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