Description
Next up in the line of Nina Kraviz tracks to get a facelift is the sparse and eerie Best Friend. Following on from the impressive Detroit instalment of the remix series (provided by Marcellus Pittman and Urban Tribe), we travel 700 miles north-west from Michigan to Minnesota, where techno pioneer of the Midwest DVS1 resides.
Enlisting the vocal services of his fellow Minneapolis-dwelling musician Naughty Wood, DVS1 has produced two excellent remixes that DJs have been eager to get their hands on since the first airing on Nina’s BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix last year. On his ‘Forever Mix’, DVS1 gives the original version a kick up the backside, ramping up the tempo and volume knob on the kick drum, whilst simultaneously taking it into deeper, melancholic territory with Naughty Wood’s musings and wistful chord progressions – somewhat reminiscent of his track ‘Pressure’, released on Derrick May’s prestigious Transmat label in 2010. These sombre chords are transformed into organ-like chimes on the more rhythm-focussed ‘Dub Test’ – where the vocals are reduced to percussive, creepy whispers, heavily delayed alongside rim shots and shakers.
After two decades amassing thousands of records, perfecting his craft as a DJ and promoting parties in the Midwest with his esteemed Hush company, DVS1 is finally seeing the recognition he deserves both at home and abroad. A consummate performer, his energetic sets have landed him bookings in the world’s most famous clubs such as Berghain, Trouw and Sankeys, and his ability in the studio has been rewarded with releases on Transmat, Klockworks and Enemy Records.
