Words: Saam Das
Once upon a time, Jack Armitage was in a band called Jack & The Free Trees. He also moonlighted as a remixer, especially when his band split. For some reason, he elected to send me some of those remixes back in the day, possibly because we both used to post on the Forward, Russia! forum (along with Matthew PigeonPost and probably a clutch of other "internet" people I still know today).
I meant to post this remix two years ago when Jack/MSVFKUP first sent it to me, following a remix competition by The Joy Formidable. But I never got round to it. Two years (or maybe more) after it was first sent to me, here's the exclusive download of this MSVFKUP remix of The Joy Formidable's 'Austere'. Exclusive in the sense you probably can't get it anywhere in 2011 anyway.
Jack described his remix as "Alt-Gospel Phantasm", I imagine not entirely seriously. It does however retain a certain ghostly nature before succumbing to pulsating drum beats and a hyperactive 8 bit melody. It genuinely sounds as fresh today as when I first heard it in February 2009. And that takes some doing. It might just be my favourite remix ever.
Jack has seemingly and unfortunately retired from music for the time being and is studying something or another. Perhaps this post may coax him back into the fold.
As for The Joy Formidable, who I first mentioned three years ago now, they've just released their debut proper LP. And for any Londoners who have nothing on this evening, they'll be playing a free gig at The Levi's Store in Regent Street - assuming there any tickets left.
MP3 DOWNLOAD: The Joy Formidable - Austere (MSVFKUP Remix)
The Joy Formidable's LP 'The Big Roar' will drop in the US on March 15th.
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