- Axel Boman infuses a blissed-out pop tune with playful moxie.
- Last year's Braxe + Falcon and Panda Bear collaboration, "Step By Step," was an '80s-tinged slice of summertime magic, with the influential French duo coaxing out Panda Bear's radio-friendly side. The end result was a warmhearted track that sits nicely alongside the Animal Collective co-founder's poppy features on dance albums from Pantha Du Prince and Daft Punk. Now the single has been reimagined by Swedish DJ and producer Axel Boman, whose recent double LP LUZ/Quest For Fire was another 2022 highlight.
In the hands of the eccentric Swede, "Step By Step" becomes a wonderfully over-the-top house banger. Boman is clearly paying homage to Braxe + Falcon's influential French Touch sound. But his remix also calls to mind the wacky bohemian vibes of Boman's 2010s Pampa releases like Holy Love. With bright, major key synths pumping optimistic energy into a four-on-the-floor groove, from start to finish, Boman's version is glittery and champagne-soaked—a rework that heightens the confidence of an original that was pretty animated to begin with.
Tracklisthttps://music.apple.com/us/album/step-by-step-feat-panda-bear-axel-bomans-in-the-air/1662893265