- When Nina Kraviz's debut album was released on Rekids last year, it proved the Siberian producer had broader palette than earlier releases like Pain In The Ass and I'm Week had suggested. "Best Friends" was one of the most phlegmatic moments on a hugely varied record, all disembodied voices and distant bells. On paper, it certainly seems ripe for reworking from Minneapolis' foremost techno artist, DVS1. In practice, results are a little patchier.
The original's success rests in every element's ability to disconcert. The vocals are so close to inaudible they feel like hallucination; clangs and clanks burst into focus without warning; drums start and stop with little connection to the spooky goings-on around them. But there's no room for this anarchy in Zak Khutoretsky's formula of tough kicks and billowy synths. Both versions aim for an early-hours Berlin ambience. The "Forever" mix throws in a new vocal from Naughty Wood that adds little, while the "Dub Test" giving more responsibility to a grunting bass. Come an inebriated 4AM they will no doubt prove effective, but an emphasis on function over flair leaves things a little predictable.
Tracklist A Best Friend (DVS1 Forever Mix)
B1 Best Friend (DVS1 Dub Test)
B2 Best Friend