Track Of The Day 14/2 – Dark Horses

Boxing Day (Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33s vox mix)

Dark Horses conjure up a certain preconception, a certain type of image.

Dark, corroded, feedback driven rock 'n' roll it's easy to imagine the band drenched in blood, sweat and jet black sunglasses. Leather strapped guitar music with a venomous edge, new album 'Black Music' seems to nail their noir addictive in one handy phrase.

Yet it's not exactly like this. The way each track is constructed, the way the textures interlock has more to do with synthesised music – Kraftwerk, say, or even Suicide – than it does with primal sonic wrecking crews such as The Jesus & Mary Chain.

There at the bottom, Richard Fearless gets a production credit. Helming Death In Vegas for more than a decade, the musician knows exactly how to re-interpret electronic techniques within a rock 'n' roll format.

So it's not a huge leap of faith to find Dark Horses remixed in a house style. Veteran producer Justin Robertson steps up to the plate, re-working forthcoming single 'Boxing Day' into the Deadstock 33s vox mix.

The results are fascinating. Robertson retains the black tones but adds shards of pure light – slate grey electronic, the bubbling synths recall the darker side of an Acid House trip.

Listen to it now.

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'Boxing Day' is out now.

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