Under her stage handle Hante, Helene de Thoury has crafted a hypnotizing brand of darkwave and synth-driven electronic music. Her 2019 album FIERCE gets a handful of remixes and reworkings here, as the Frenchwoman hands off some of her favorite tracks from the album to artists such as Aura Shred, Milliken Chamber, and Kontravoid. Whether bringing stinging coldwave or futurepop vibes, this collection of remixes is, as the name implies, fierce.
The two B-sides, “In Raptures” and “Run, Lie, Cry” are shining examples of de Thoury’s work. The former is a gorgeously-crafted track, full of delay-laden synths and a distinctly retro sound. It’s got excellent riff after excellent riff, with musical swells made to break you down after you’ve been built up. The latter track is a pulsing coldwave number, gliding across the terrain with enough weight behind it to hear its presence, but not so much as to be hulking or terrifying.
First to be reconstructed is “RESPECT,” and each version stands on its own. The New Soul mix has a low and slow synthwave approach, with lower vocals making for an uncertain feeling as you listen. Milliken Chamber’s remix is loaded with a Nineties IDM flavor, even as one can hear finger snaps under the snare in some sections. This isn’t a bad thing, but it was an interesting thing to pick up on. Kontravoid’s take on the track is heavier on the clicks and the urgency, picking up the pace compared to its counterparts. It’s as lively and P&V as anything on the compilation thus far, making it hard to pick a favorite of the three iterations.
Hørd remixes “Serre-Moi Encore” next, turning the track into melancholia in the key of B. It’s so full of atmosphere and scenic synth soundscapes, leaving the percussive elements at the door. They’re not needed here.
Last to be reimagined is Wild Animal, again by three different artists. Fee Lion takes a minimalistic approach to the track, with a prominent click and bass line greeted by momentary vocals and effects. In that sense, it could be considered the most old-school industrial track on display, going back to the old days of the genre. Fragrance brings the song into futurepop territory with an ever-present bass line and plinking synth lines. Aura Shred plays around with some glitchy 8-bit effects and flourishes to start, then adds some fuzz and wub around the two minute mark. To that end, AS brings the most modern dance floor-ready version of anything that isn’t the original artist’s work.
Remix albums are hard to really objectively talk about, but the variety of influences here cuts that otherwise tall task down to size. If you want glistening synth work, there’s a track for that. If you want stomping bass that you can feel in your chest, that’s there too. After exploring this compilation, though, I’ll be making it a point to see what else Hante has to offer.
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