After taking festivals and charts by storm, REAPER‘s debut album DISRUPTOR LP receives a best remixes compilation that includes new interpretations from AC13, segan, Mazare, RIOT, Slippy and, the winner of the REAPER remix contest, LA-based musician BLUUR. Stylistically diverse, but unified by the ability to make you move, the remixes allow one to look at the LP from completely different angles and appreciate all of its hidden details.
There are plenty of memorable moments on the REAPER – DISRUPTOR LP – Best Remixes compilation. Since each track on the album has not one or two, but 3, sometimes 4 remixes, the 35-track compilation feels like a construction set that allows you to build your own versions of DISRUPTOR and change them according to your mood or vibe of the day. Genre-wise, the compilation moves into territories far away from the original D&B & Trap-influenced sound of the anonymous producer.
Let’s start the compilation with the new Bass House version of IMY by the REAPER remix contest winner BLUUR, with his exceptional illustration of genre-bending abilities. Slower in tempo, BLUUR’s treatment by no means sounds less impactful. As the huge, ground-shaking bassline moves through the track, the subtle textures and vocals, reimagined and sampled to fit the new structure seamlessly hypnotize the listeners, surrounding them with warm, but somewhat lonely and nocturnal atmosphere.
Stream Reaper & Bella Renee – IMY (BLUUR Remix) on SoundCloud below!
Speaking about the atmosphere, one of the bigger and cinematic moments on the LP, IMY has three different remixes that are worth to talk about separately. One of them is done by a relatively new name on the scene, LA producer segan, who gives an unexpected retro touch to the track, but moves it even deeper into the unknown and exotic sonic territories by adding massive and wide drums to the remix. The segan remix probably takes the vibe further from the futuristic sound of the original than anyone else, to the point that his version starts sounding like a different track at some points.
Stream Reaper & Bella Renee – IMY (segan Remix) on SoundCloud below!
Still, if you’re here for some innovative D&B sounds, you’ll find a lot of examples of that. Take the new Mazare remix of the dramatic RUNAWAY with Josh Rubin, one of the authors of 2021 pop-inspired hit Broken. On his version of RUNAWAY, Mazare tones down the impactful and intense original and pushes the focus towards Josh Rubin’s storytelling and vocal performance. The fans may be familiar with the artist’s ability to make memorable storytelling tracks from last year’s emotionally intense Cruel Summer. The remix has a particularly similar formula. Compared to the relatively dry original, the a bit calmer, atmospheric and spacious remix makes RUNAWAY feel like a great soundtrack for long trips.
Stream REAPER – RUNAWAY (ft Josh Rubin) (Mazare Remix) on SoundCloud below!
On the other hand, the glitchy and distorted digital sound on the new AC13 remix of IMY exaggerates the hi-tech elements on the cyberpunk-inspired track. Centered around the vocals and “rolling”, grainy synth lead that becomes one with the bass on the drop, the AC13 version keeps the innovative spirit of the original, and sometimes even adds edges that are missing on it.
Stream Reaper & Bella Renee – IMY (AC13 Remix) on SoundCloud below!
Fans of Dubstep & Bass music can also find interesting tracks on the compilation. Namely, the luxurious remix by Slippy of STAY ALIVE with The Arcturians. The remix takes the epicness and scale of the original to a whole new level. It can be described as an extension of the original, in a sense that they both share a lot of similarities, but Slippy’s production style is much more focused on the treatment of spatial elements of the track. This makes the remix sound much bigger, with a lot of atmospheric textures working in the background as the jaw-breaking drum-sections gallop through the track.
Stream REAPER – STAY ALIVE (ft The Arcturians) (Slippy Remix) on SoundCloud below!
Finally, if there was another contest by REAPER that would challenge the producers to make the most genre-bending track for the DISRUPTOR LP remix version, RIOT’s remix of MAKE A MOVE would’ve clearly been the winner. The shape-shifter of a track manages to go from Hip-Hop Turntablism with classic Boom-Bap style sampling to DnB, RnB, and summarizes everything on the insane Dubstep-infused drop. Amazingly, the concept that sounds almost laughable on paper, works flawlessly in practice, making this version of MAKE A MOVE one of the most memorable tunes on the compilation.
Stream REAPER – MAKE A MOVE (RIOT Remix) on SoundCloud below!
Only after the last track on the 35-song LP remix finishes, one can start grasping the vision REAPER had with it. While the amount of names that worked on it can successfully organize into a fully-functioning orchestra, REAPER’s “gluing” role on the compilation is undeniable. Thus, on one side, the remix of the LP is, undoubtedly, helping the artists involved to gain a platform, and the new names in the genre are able to be heard on one of the biggest DnB releases of the year. On the other hand, the remix is a great opportunity for REAPER himself to look at his music from a fresh perspective and make a step forward artistically. If you want to hear more from the REAPER’s dense and diverse catalog, follow this link.
