Legendary French producer transforms Steeple Remove’s droning shoegaze into a euphoric new beast
One of our final releases of 2018 was the incredible fifth full-length, Vonal-Axis, from the Rouen-based outfit Steeple Remove. Arriving twenty years into their lengthy albeit mysterious career, the album skirted the line between post-punk, dub and kosmische pop. Already long sold-out, Steeple Remove have just shared a remix for the album’s opening track courtesy of the prolific dance music pioneer Laurent Garnier.
A true hero of the electronic circuit whose career can be traced back to the late-80s, Garnier become something of an icon for carving out an extensive and deeply-eclectic back-catalogue that took its cues from the sounds of Detroit, Chicago and Manchester. The latter perhaps unsurprising considering he was at The Haçienda where a young Garnier discovered his love of electronic music and wound up DJing in the club’s heyday under the DJ Pedro moniker.
Where the album version of ‘Oval-Strii’ was a woozy slice of droning shoegaze, the remix sees Garnier transform the track into an eight-minute voyage of warped, euphoric electronica that’s driven by cosmic synths and an endless metronomic beat. Shoegaze and dance music may sound like a questionable combo but with both artists being masters of their craft, it’s no surprise that the result is something that makes you want to both stare longingly into the void and dive right into it with wide eyes and an achy jaw.
supported by 19 fans who also own “Oval Strii (Laurent Garnier Remix)”
A wonderful album although the style slightly changed compared to their earlier releases. I was lucky to catch the guys in a small venue in Vienna this summer and had a VERY good time - fantastic live band! Papa Jay (Radio Smorgasbord)
With chiming, droning, and shimmering guitars galore, the Philadelphia shoegaze group debut their strongest collection of songs yet. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 23, 2024
supported by 17 fans who also own “Oval Strii (Laurent Garnier Remix)”
The Oscillation are one of the best bands in the world. I have all the recent stuff on vinyl and was delighted to pick this harder-to-find earlier LP off via Bandcamp. These tunes are a bit more crisp and punchy than the later stuff with an obvious nod to Spacemen 3/Spiritualized and show them at an earlier stage of their psych journey. Needless to say, it is brilliant, panoramic, adrenaline-fuelled and life-affirming stuff. deadshotkeen