The Miami-based producer and DJ Kodat is back! He surprised us, and his fans, this morning with a new The Weeknd Drum and Bass remix. Although The Weeknd x Kodat – Is There Someone Else? is not an official remix, it’s a masterful execution of a complex concept of genre-blending that deserves the attention of the listener. With avant-garde D&B influences, this new Kodat song is a colorful and exciting blend of different eras and styles.
Kodat keeps the key acoustic elements of Is There Someone Else?, but masks them with a series of interesting production tricks. Firstly, to make this combination of genres work, the artist uses a series of filters and coloration methods. With the help of filtering, EQ-ing and saturation, the mixing of this new Kodat song achieves its timeless atmosphere. It makes the song feel almost like it is from an alternate reality. Secondly, as it’s already been mentioned, most of the acoustic sounds from the original are either disguised, or turned into transitional or interluding elements.
On the opposite, The Weeknd’s Pop vocals are kept on the front. But Kodat does so many manipulations and DJ Screw-style sample-choppings, that during the most parts of the song, they don’t sound like The Weeknd at all.
Overall, Kodat’s remix adds new layers to The Weeknd’s 80s inspired sound. With the Amen breaks come the 90s vibes, while the mystifying vocal slicing and pitching, combined with the synths, sound pretty much like the current wave of the avant-garde electronic music. There aren’t that many The Weeknd Drum and Bass remixes that have such creative twists. And, with the inability to pinpoint the exact era of the sound comes a really surreal vibe. This is the key-factor that makes this new Kodat song sound psychedelic, even though there’s nothing particularly psychedelia-influenced on it.
