Kilter- They Say (Feki Remix)

I always get super excited when I get to write a review like this. Honestly, it’s such a treat when you get to (even mildly) expose an artist that really deserves to be rewarded for awesome work. Feki is that artist today. This remix of Kilter’s track “They Say” is such good work and Feki, the Australian (obviously) based producer deserves some recognition. Kilter, also from Australia (sigh… I need some new content), created an epic track full of block synth chords and rhythmic synth support in both the treble and bass clefs. I don’t think there’s any doubt that Kilter tried to go “big sound” with this track, but they go there without really relying on any percussion. It’s such a surprise when a track that feels so huge actually has very little beat support. Personally, I’ve come to expect these sort of massive trap beats to accompany tracks like these, but this one is refreshingly simple, in that it allows the melodic elements, rather than the percussion, to provide the power in the track. Unfortunately, it feels a bit repetitive by the end and you sort of feel like you’re getting the same cookie cutter 45 second bit for the first 2 and a half minutes. The various changes that occur in the original feel a bit disjointed. I felt like I was being jerked around with no real purpose to the track as a whole. However, that isn’t a problem in Feki’s remix. Feki decides to strip away all the confusing elements that make the original feel so at odds with itself. He makes a point to start with something inherently more melodic. Anything even resembling bass isn’t incorporated until the 30 second mark, and the vocal sample is accentuated considerably. It feels like floating through a dream on clouds of synth. Honestly, it’s incredible to me that these are even the same parts of Kilter’s original. The staccato synth line that is so iconic in this remix is lifted directly out of the original, but it was almost completely drowned out by the block chords that are so central to the original track. I personally feel that the original is a bit too complex and that Feki’s remix does a fantastic job of integrating the more laid-back elements of the original and creating something that manages to bridge that gap between originality and showing respect for the original. It’s a shame that Feki only has 349 likes on Facebook, because he deserves quite a lot more if he continues to cut tracks and remixes like this one. Please listen to them both below and comment with your thoughts!