Dylan Hundley is a fixture on the scene in New York City and a crucial contributor to The Vinyl District, who’s also half of Lulu Lewis alongside Pablo Martin, her partner in life and also in new wave-post punk-darkwave groove science. With her “one woman brutalist synthpop” project Darling Black, Hundley is indeed going it alone, except when a top-flight remix specialist comes a-knockin’.
In the case of “8th and Alvarado,” a plum track from Darling Black’s eponymous full-length from last year, the remixer is Killing Joke bassist Martin “Youth” Glover. The Youth “Champagne” Remix is an exquisite expansion and extension of Hundley’s inspired conception, as evidenced below.
For those familiar with Lulu Lewis who have yet to get acquainted with Dylan Hundley’s latest endeavor, rest easy that Darling Black flaunts a complementary approach. The main differentiating factor is that Hundley is honing a sharp and edgy dancefloor attack throughout. That hasn’t registered as a major difference, at least until Youth got his hands on “8th and Alvarado.”
The core track is already a mover, but its no-wave-electro-post-punk blend conjures visions of a sweaty mass of unison writhing in a packed room during a live performance. After Youth got his mitts on the tune, the sound is thicker and is even more likely to whip a crowd into a frenzy, but now the mental picture that forms is of a heaving humid dance club with a DJ bent over a pair of spinning turntables.
As it is in Lulu Lewis, Hundley’s strong suit in Darling Black is a desire to enliven her inspirations with fresh possibilities rather than settling for mere imitation. Everything connects as correct, including this version by Youth.
