Out of the hefty list of A-grade drum ‘n bass songs Evol Intent have crafted in their career, “Middle of the Night” stands tallest for threading the needle between blistering rhythms and rich, emotional melodies. So when Evol Intent announced a contest for remixing this song, it was certainly a challenge not fit for any two-bit producer; how does one put their own unique touch to a track that stands so strong as is? Gigantor, the figurehead of Evol Intent, is a discerning one when it comes to electronic music (as he recently told EDM Sauce), but was hopeful of the remix contest being a great way to discover new talent.
The turnout for the contest didn't disappoint him in the slightest, and after the Sophie's Choice of picking the winners out of many respectable remixes, we now have the official Middle of the Night Remix EP bestowed upon us! Along with the three official winners of the remix contest, Evol Intent also included two remix entries as “honorable mentions,” as well as a remix from the trio's own Bro Safari. Below is a rundown of each remix.
Bl4ck Owlz Remix
The big winners of the contest, the young French duo put some distorted guitars on top of a bed of tense strings to build things up with a symphonic metal feel (they are from Europe, after all), which they then drop into a heavy percussive dubstep style, reminiscent of KOAN Sound.
Jorts Remix
Just about everyone cringed at the idea that JNCOs might make a comeback, but if there are any jorts worth being excited for growing in popularity, it's this up-and-coming producer from the Midwest. Dipping the tempo down a bit below formal DnB territory, the rhythm and feel is much more in the modern DnB style. Augmenting the song's main melody with chiptune arpeggios, funky Netsky-esque synth swells come in to pave the way for a drop of sleek bass and hi-hat bursts.
Whereas Jorts' DnB take was more modern, Teknian & ZeroZero shine light on a classic neurofunk style of drum ‘n bass in their remix. Starting out with jazzy bass and organic drums, the synthetic drum loops simmer ever so slightly, seamlessly transitioning into a techy and dark DnB section, much akin to Sunchase or the more minimal takes of Syncopix. The mid-range stays subtle and contained, and attention is given to the nuances of the sub-bass wobbles and the drum loops.
Jameston Thieves & Dirty Doses Remix
The only four-on-the-floor remix on the EP, Jameston Thieves & Dirty Doses are set to trick you. Starting the song off with a deep house aesthetic (and we mean real deep house), the duo then switch the bait at the drop, which goes into an interesting PB&J combo of garage-style synth plucks and a heavy electro-house bassline.
Fantastic Planet Remix
Colorful, varied, and logically insane like a bowl of Lucky Charms, Fantastic Planet speeds up the track to a jittery drill ‘n bass/IDM tempo. However, the fleeting, atypical rhythms and sporadic fits of synths aren't the only card this remix plays, and for those who were running out of breath trying to keep up in the first part of the song, Fantastic Planet adheres to some consistent structure in the middle section of the song with trappy kicks, which he then parlays into a hardstyle section, and then boomerangs back into another IDM section with meticulous drum glitching.
Bro Safari Remix
After the hurricane of Fantastic Planet's remix, Bro Safari‘s remix is the calm rain to close the EP out. With smooth bass and a woozy modulation of the vocals, his remix is more along the lines of nu-R&B than his expected style of trap. His downtempo take works well with the lyrical matter, being a proper “howl at the moon” track to be the epilogue to a night of debauchery.
You can purchase the Middle of the Night EP on Beatport, iTunes, Amazon, and Juno, and it's also available for free download here.
