Review: Nocturnal Sunshine – Believe (Remixes)

Bit of a two hander this new release from Maya Jane Coles. I mean, I get it, sometimes you need that classy, sophisticated, never-knowingly-breaking-a-sweat, impeccably produced chugging house plod, but then sometimes you just want to have fun without feeling obliged to pull pouty faces that show how deep you feeeeeel the music. Case in point: Believe is the lead track from Nocturnal Sunshine, MJC’s current project, and it sounds like an early noughties folktronica hidden away at the arse end of a unloved Beta Band record. I’ve listened to its pleasant nothings twice and really can’t remember at all how it goes. It's not bad, it's not evil, but it is wet as a muddy puddle.

BUT – big but – the B Side Intergalactic is some rubber bassline magic. The b-line on it sounds like Coles’ has sampled the Jews Harp played in the Wicker Man, pitched it down to a belly wobbling sub, and chucked some skippy kick drums underneath, like she’s trying to invent Pagan Juke. It’s good driving club gear and redeems the boredom of the A Side. There are remixes from Curses (techno chug that sounds like he phoned it in, can definitely do better) and Hodgson (alright. Bit dull again). My advice? go for Intergalactic, forget the rest…