Forever Young (Remixes)

Parisian producer and DJ extraordinaire Joakim Bouaziz expands on the leading track from his fifth studio album, 2011’s Nothing Gold, with an EP that offers four different versions of “Forever Young.” It starts with the “Extended Afro Mix,” where effervescent keyboard tones bubble and pop over muted, stuttered beats before evolving into a steady dance rhythm bolstered by '80s-flavored synth-pop keyboard bass. Joakim’s reverberated voice recalls a young Gary Numan, musing on aging with a bittersweet sentiment. A slightly elongated mix of the album’s original version follows, fusing downtempo with disco. But it’s with the following “Discodeine Remix” where Joakim’s production skills as a minimalist really stand out. It starts by layering spare beats over one another and then seeping in a whispered mic check alongside spare keyboard notes and muffled bass. Joakim lets the bass melody upstage everything else on this one, even letting his lead vocal take the role of a peripheral instrument. The closing “DyE Remix” imports chilling soundscapes, with icy synthesizers fluttering over a four-on-the-floor beat as a wonky, distorted bass holds up his singing.