Thistle (Remixes)

Harvested from their handsome 2012 eponymous debut album and given the remix treatment by six different producers, Hundred Waters’ (Thistle) Remixes EP is a perfect example of how vastly different one song can sound when put through sonic chop-shops. The original album mix of “Thistle” opens with sputtering beats and analog drones and keyboard tones as singer Nicole Miglis inflects like Björk fronting a band featuring members of Broadcast and Stereolab. “The Star Slinger Remix” injects synthy string tones and hip-hop beats before doubling Miglis’ vocal tracks for a more heavenly effect. There’s also a lilting keyboard melody here that sometimes upstages the singing. The “AraabMuzik Remix” follows, crackling with energy. Hard cut loops provide the dominant rhythm, which is bolstered by a new bass line. TOKiMONSTA reinvents the song by pitching down Miglis’ voice and reworking the rhythm with what sounds like an antique 808 drum machine. “Lockah Remix” starts with a cappella vocals that are elongated beyond human possibilities over rhythms that sound like the pages of a phone book flapping over glitchy house music.