Phil Kieran – Shh Remixes review

Artist: Phil Kieran
Title: Shh Remixes
Label: Cocoon
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download

Phil Kieran returns to Cocoon with an EP of remixes from his Shh album of last year. Featuring reworks from Pan-Pot, Egbert and Patrick Kunkel amongst others, the EP takes on six tracks off the album, delivering new versions for 2010.

Having previously flexed his more minimal tech house muscles on two singles for the Frankfurt based label, Kieran unleashed his eponymous album in September of last year. Shh was a particularly broad minded affair that showcased his diverse set of influences, earning the accomplished Irishman much praise. Now, Cocoon delve back into the album with a clutch of excellent and equally diverse remixes.

Pan-Pot, the Berlin based duo who have also released on Mobilee and SCI + TEC, open the EP with a reductionist rework of “Blood of Barcelona”. It has a subsonic feel, with deep synth stabs piercing through a simple yet bouncy bassline. Ingo Boss also take on the same song at the end of the EP, instead turning it into a pumping club track. The strong beat leads the way as glitch tech FX play out the rest of the track. In between, rising Dutch talent Egbert morphs a hypnotic bassline into a beautiful and uplifting dub track on his remix of “Never Ending Mountain” before Patrick Kunkel turns the same track into a pumping hybrid of techno and dub that somehow keeps the harmonic feel of the original. Matador exercises a minimal wig out on “Dirt” and Kevin Gorman gets things dark, pumping and irresistibly groovy on “Playing With Shadows.”

Phil Kieran’s original album showed just how versatile and diverse techno can be today. Fittingly then, this remix EP goes on to show even more imagination and creativity, throwing off the shackles of functional techno and exploring the genre’s musicality to the max.

Review: Tom Jones