Teengirl Fantasy – Cheaters remixes review
Teengirl Fantasy’s epic house jam “Cheaters” belongs in that rare canon of songs that remain timeless and thrilling, no matter how many times you hear it. Personally speaking it became the track that allowed me to escape the morning crush on the Northern Line and “Cheaters” also quite rightfully featured highly in the Juno Plus top tracks list from 2010. The only real gripe was the classic Chicago house track was never granted the full twelve inch release it fully deserved by either Merok or True Panther, the transatlantic labels that were responsible for releasing the duo’s impressive debut album 7AM.
A round of applause is due to both the band Delorean and their compatriots Hivern Disc – firstly to the former for being so captivated by “Cheaters” after touring with Teengirl Fantasy they couldn’t help but inform Hivern Disc about it. The Barcelona based label need a celebratory pat on the back for enticing Merok and True Panther into allowing them to release the track on this rather becoming marble splattered turquoise twelve.
The only reluctance regarding the news of this release was the mooted inclusion of remixes – from Hivern pinup John Talabot and Future Times artists Beautiful Swimmers – for a track that is pretty close to whatever you might regard as perfection. Thankfully such reticence can be discarded as both remixes present the track in a whole new light that is totally rewarding. Talabot’s self styled classic vocal refix on “Cheaters” gives the Love Committee vocals more prominence amidst the euphoria inducing looped keys and delicate chords that permeate the nether regions. Despite being slower than the 130bpm original, the raw, heavily percussive thrust makes Talabot’s remix a more suited dancefloor weapon, especially in the glorious last few moments where the drums crash around those fragile vocals.
The accompanying remix from Beautiful Swimmers occupies a totally different sonic space but is just as impressive. Future Times output in general seems to throw a thousand different ideas into the melting pot and somehow make it stick, and this remix continues that approach with startling results. Those shimmering chords are rewired and wrapped around a mid tempo bump that is befitting of Pharell Williams in his pomp and augmented by loosely cascading 808 hits. There’s a multitude of different dizzying movements before the run out groove arrives and it would be a spoiler to try and describe them – it’s a remix that’s best left to discover yourself!
Tony Poland
