Throwback Thursday: HAIM - Falling (Duke Dumont Remix)

With the retrospective that comes with this final month of the decade, I figured today's Throwback Thursday post would be a perfect time to shine a light on one of the most important pieces in my musical evolution.

The year was 2013 and I found myself reaching into genres that I either hadn't heard before or hadn't enjoyed much in recent years. And of course there is always an impetus to such exploration, a singular inspiration. In this case it was Duke Dumont's blissful take on HAIM's "Falling." Introduced to me as a track he'd been closing his sets with at the time, I was immediately hooked on his cherubic chord selections and ever growing atmosphere. It's pure sonic pleasure with just the right amount of dance desire. His work around HAIM's vocals, especially Danielle's breathy delivery, is simply sensational. It was quirky and captivating to me, someone who had never heard HAIM before - however this was all about to change.

Later in that year HAIM performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, once again captivating me with their energy, enthusiasm and all around artistry (Este's incredible bass face included). All that winter I gorged myself on other live performances, eventually playing their Days Are Gone on repeat as I rode lawnmowers and weed-whacked my way through my landscaping job the following summer.

As readers of this blog will know, HAIM have since become one of my all-time favourite bands and for that I can thank Duke Dumont. It is this kind of inspiration I aim incite with this blog and my various radio shows, as you never know where your tastes will turn or what connections will be made.FOLLOW DUKE DUMONT: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
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HAIM - Little Of Your Love (BloodPop Remix)

The Haim sisters have once again released one of my favourite albums of the year, with Something To Tell You, the follow up to their genius debut Days Are Gone. That 2013 album spurred several superb remixes from the likes of MK, Cyril Hahn, Duke Dumont and others. I fully expect this collection of tracks to tempt producers to take on the vocal talents and magical melodies of HAIM, reworking them for the DJ decks. The first such remix comes from Michael Tucker, aka BloodPop (and previously Blood Diamonds). While he's remixed "Little Of Your Love" you may also be aware that he helped produce "Want You Back," the lead single from Something To Tell You. Stream below, and purchase here.What I like most about this mix is the way BloodPop stays true to the original, while playing with all of the elements that make HAIM more than just a rock band or a pop trio. "Little Of Your Love," like much of the album, showcases prolific pop production abilities from Ariel Rechtshaid and Rostam Batmanglij, which BloodPop has zeroed in on and utilized expertly. The main melodies and vocals remain intact, while being re-birthed as a snappy synth driven singalong. The clicks, clacks and snaps of the reworked percussion work perfectly with HAIM's unique style. However the cherry on top of this mix is BloodPop's chords which are imbued with an astonishing amount of love. It's incredibly easy to enjoy, and I cannot wait for more mixes like this in the coming days and months.

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