Song of the Week: Soulwax Remix of Huarache Lights by Hot Chip

Hot Chip are a band whose output I have always taken an interest in. From wonky floor fillers like Ready For The Floor to emotion laden tracks like Need You Now off their latest record, Why Make Sense?, their material has been consistently strong across six albums.

Having seen them live recently I can confirm that their sound translates excellently to the stage, a multitude of equipment-from laptops running Ableton Live to vintage synths to steel drums whipping the crowd into a frenzy. However, a problem I’ve found with some of their tracks is a tendency to start with a really good idea and then wander off on tangents. An example of this is recent single Huarache Lights which opens with a tight drum groove and bassline but descends into a weird vocoder led breakdown. This is why I’m thankful that Soulwax got a hold of it for a remix, which is the version of the track that I've chosen as my song of the week. They get rid of all the superfluous elements and distill it down, focussing on the bassline and chord progression to create a hypnotic and driving song, rather than a meandering one.

The track builds slowly, the drums starting with a simple tom groove before adding in swirling hi hats and hefty 808 kicks and snares. A swinging snare roll builds up throughout the breakdown, and continues on for the rest of the track, creating a lot of power and bounce for a track that is only at 113 BPM. Soulwax have done a great job here, adding another fantastic remix to their ever increasing repertoire and making a half decent Hot Chip release into a great one.

Every Wednesday, one of our young contributors picks a piece of music that has meant something to them in the past seven days. Get in touch if you have a track to tell us about!