Tuesday, January 16, 2018

SOPHIE - Just Like We Never Said Goodbye (Qim Flip)

Casual fans will know SOPHIE for the equally massive tracks "Msmsmsm" and "Lemonade" from the hyper-kinetic album Product Bigger fans will know her widespread songwriting and production credits for the likes of Madonna, Charli XCX, and Vince Staples. To say that 2017 was a big year for her would be a vast understatement. She was on two of the biggest tracks of the year with Cashmere Cat and Lunice, as well as her own stunning breakout "It's Okay To Cry." And while we look forward to her album Whole New World, I can't help but share a remix of what was my favourite track from Product.

Qim's first release comes in the form a future bass remix of SOPHIE's "Just Like We Never Said Goodbye." The allure of the original is clear, while in stark contrast to the aforementioned cuts from Product. It is more of a standard song, subverting the psychotic stabs and fearsome flourishes that most have come to know SOPHIE for. It is at once bright and beautiful, yet also dark and haunting. While the unhinged club quality of SOPHIE is undeniable, this track has harnessed that energy, directing it into an incredible piece of art, which in my mind sets the stage for "It's Okay To Cry."

As I often say with remixes of this nature, you must tread lightly, in effort to both maintain the original's artistry and not debase its allure. Qim has done that quite well. The raw nature of his future bass flip works perfectly with SOPHIE's original. The new upbeat and optimistic drop is a more overt example of the heights achieved in the original, and yet it still plays perfectly with the careening chords and sub-bass that kept it grounded and sneakily sad. I find I'm still partial to a lot of future bass and the potential it holds, and it is generally the drums fills that seal the quality, to which Qim has delivered. The lead into the drops just always seems to hit my heart in the right place, making this a surefire second and third listen candidate. You'll have to get those on Soundcloud though as no download is currently available.FOLLOW QIM: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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