First Impression Review: PremRock & Fresh Kils - Leave In Tact: The Remix Collection vs. Leave In Tact (2016 Originals) URBNET

"[Leave In Tact:] The Remix Collection boasts a strong addition to the pair's already robust resume, and as they set their sights on another ambitious tour with contemporaries' billy woods and Henry Canyons, their prospects only continue to grow. If you missed Leave In Tact, due to the avalanche of the election fallout or perhaps, because of the shared release date with a comeback album from the greatest group of all time, you are forgiven, but do take this chance to catch up," reads a Remix Collection-accompanying statement uploaded to PremRock & Fresh Kils' Bandcamp. I recently got a pre-release version of Leave In Tact: The Remix Collection and producer Fresh Kils (@freshkils) told me, he "would love to hear [my] comparative thoughts on the remixes vs. the originals;" with that said, here's a very laxly-structured first impressions review of Leave In Tact: The Remix Collection. PremRock & Fresh Kils' latest 7-track release is currently available on their Bandcamp page in either Cassette + Digital Copy or basic $7 Digital Album formats and consists of remixes from fellow beatsmiths Chicago's Maker, Blockhead, Willie Green, Elaquent, 2oolman, and veteran of The Six, Junia-T.

I. "Losing My Mind" (Maker's Mix) vs. "Losing My Mind"

Leave In Tact: The Remix Collection lead-off track. Very atmospheric, Glitchy, Dream-Pop. Expertly inter-woven amidst PremRock's vocals. Almost Run-D.M.C./LL Cool J Def Jam-era sound. Summery, sunny.


ORIGINAL: More sparse and skeletal-sounding. Tinny 808's. Eerie feel reminiscent of Yeezus (intro.) "Think I'm losing..." underlying Miami Vice-esque sample. Beat shift at 1:15. Broken Atari/Super Nintendo feel. Beat continually shifts and progresses. Warble effect!


II. "Bring Your Bad" (2oolman & Junia-T Remix) vs. "Bring Your Bad"

Indie Rock feel. Almost sounds like LCD Soundsystem/Kid Cudi. Cymbal and piano beat. Stuttering beat effect. Randy Newman-esque piano licks. Video/Album Edit... "Just need you to turn it out" (background.)


ORIGINAL: Electronic, Reggaeton, Congas... Miami Sound machine? Fast-paced, 80's Techno. Very rapidly-paced. Sparse, yet progressive. Rock undertones. LOUD DRUMS! Guitar riffs. Very syncopated. Feedback? ZZ Top-esque. Electro-warble effect. Drops at end!


III. "Saudade" (L'Orange's Flip) vs. "Saudade"

Tape rewinding/assorted "radio" samples. MADVILLAINY-type feel into old school piano/woman crooner-led/Boom-Bap drum beat. Disney-esque beat? Almost has a sample back-and-forth with PremRock's bars. Different type of warble/echo... "you lied?" and "life ain't worth livin.'" Tape effect on outro/DJ cuts? Sample self-deconstructs into outro.


ORIGINAL: Very spacey/ghostly intro. Kanye-type effect. DJ cuts/feedback into beat. Bruce Haack/robot effect. 1970's/80's beat. Calms down with piano beat/echoed backing vocal samples. Electro-beat. Boom-Bap drums. Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique, Dilla, Madlib, jj kills? "GO!" sample. Indie Rock guitars/video game feel.


IV. "Ether" (Raistlin's Rendezvous) vs. "Lost In The Ether"

Chimes for beat/piano? Very simple and sparse. Seldom horns in background? JAY-Z/Thor references? More prominent drum beat at 1:30 -> chimes out. Added elements throughout... Rewind-type effect/sirens in outro. New beat at 2:30? Spacey warble 'til end.


ORIGINAL ("Lost In The Ether"): OG album outro. DOOM "Accordion"-type sound. Piano/accordion/drums? 80's Def Jam feel. Very sparse. Extremely simple, yet effective outro section.


V. "Play On, Band" (Willie Green's Take) vs. "Play On, Band"

Spoken word intro/sample -> directly into PremRock's vocals. (0's Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel drum-led beat... like "In Your Eyes." Very sparse and simple. Voice sample inner-cut throughout. Spiraling/warble effect into outro.


ORIGINAL: Boom-Bap beat, soothing whistle/piano? Extremely simple. Dilla-esque drums/rewind effect. Same vocal sample... gets slightly more "Hip-Hop." Effective, but doesn't really go anywhere.


VI. "Rewind" (Elaquent's Spin) vs. "Rewind" [-feat. Moka Only]

Very 90's Biggie/Puff Daddy-type feel. 8-bit Glitchy beat. Summery, sunny vibe. Dream-Pop with echoed 90's R&B-esque hook. Vaguely reminiscent style-wise of Ghostface, Ne-Yo & Kanye's "Back Like That" (Remix) "Hey, you outta my life, but not outta my mind..." "It's a sign of the times." Fades out...


ORIGINAL: Starts with same ghostly vocal sample crooning... slightly more Dilla-esque. 8-bit Glitchy beat. Metronome slightly off... Soulquarians. Sparse production work. Wu-Tang Clan-type vibe. Extremely catchy! "Flight of The Conchords"/Condors? Warbled fade out...


VII. "Winter On Broome St." (Blockhead did this one) vs. "Winter On Broome St."

Sciency, Glitchy 007/Dexter's Lab-sounding intro sample/effect. Water drip-type drum. Hi-hat? Beat builds and progressively evolves. Sa-Ra Creative Partners/tAz Arnold vibes. Marimba beats? Warbled effect. New background sample at 2:20? Eerie outro.


ORIGINAL: Squalling horns/50's Lounge intro with heavy Boom-Bap (slowly building) drum hits. 90's/early 2000's East Coast/Mafioso Rap feel. Maybe, the most explicitly "Radio-friendly" of both collections. Eerie Screwed & chopped-esque echoed backing vocals on outro hook.