California Analog Dream (Robag Wruhme)

London trio Vondelpark have received quite some notable accolades for their debut full-length album Seabed, released earlier this year on R&S Records. The BBC compared their dreamy sound to The xx, describing the song “California Analog Dream” as “exemplary electronic pop, tracing dance and RnB patterns but rarely running over them in anything permanent.” Now DJ Koze calls upon Robag Wruhme's magic touch to bring the band's hushed tones out of the bedroom and onto the dancefloor for this new Pampa Records 12". With "Moppa Habax NB", our beloved Robag takes certain elements of the original—most notably the bittersweet vocals and gentle guitar strumming and weaves them around a functional house stomp. The dusky feeling is still there, but with an ultraviolet sheen and those quirky flourishes that have become trademarks of both Mr. Wruhme and the Pampa label. Flipping the record over, we hear Robag shift Vondelpark's pop tune further into dubbed-out DJ tool territory with "Habay Latoff NB", placing it atop a hand-cranked mechanical pulse that's more tech than house. The vocals are reduced to a mere atmospheric aspect, letting Robag's buzzing and clattering do the talking, as the underlying drawn-out melodic phrases breeze past, with plenty of auditory curveballs to make your ears smile. Grab the vinyl version now R&S won't be offering these remixes digitally until later in the year.