Artist: Gus Gus
Title: Need In Me (Remixes)
Label: Pineapple Records
By: Andy Dixon | 30 November 2006
Tracklist:

• A1: Micky Monza & Joseph Disco Mix
• B1: Thor Mix
• B2: DMS Mix

Gus Gus "Need In Me (Remixes)"

The Icelandic band Gus Gus is best known for their quirky and eclectic electronic/pop tracks like 'Believe', 'Purple', and 'David', but currently working on their fifth studio album and having released a new batch of tracks to push the boundaries of the expected, they continue to leave their footprints. Three remixes of one of their new tracks, 'Need In Me', is the third release on their own and equally quirky Pineapple Records label.

The Micky Monza & Joseph Disco mix is good tech-house. The sultry Gus Gus vocals are backed by a cut and go beat and staccato electro-synths and plunky melodies that bounce and reverb throughout the track. It has good energy but remains pretty static with very little build as the track develops, making it a good early set fill.

Gus Gus' fellow Icelander Thor - who's worked with the Scandinavian island's most famous musician, Bjork - takes the reigns for a breaks mix. The fast beat, heavy basslines, and edgy extras are a recipe that often works, and here the vocals and some good distinctions between phrases makes this mix better than a lot of nuskool out now.

Finally is the DMS mix, which puts back in some tech-house elements but finds a more progressive groove than Morza and Disco. The vocal sustains the 7 minutes track but the rolling and constantly changing instrumentation around it would make for a superb dub. The last couple minutes in particular find a nice subtle build, which lends itself nicely for the mix out.

If you like Gus Gus and in particular the vocals in their original 'Need In Me', you'll like these remixes. With the possible exception of Thor's breaks mix, the vocal plays such a prominent role in all versions that there is no denying the Gus Gus influence. But at least it's a great vocal, making it so you wouldn't want to ignore Gus Gus and their imaginative style.