Other Lives / Atoms For Peace - Tamer Animals / Other Side (12" vinyl)

I’m so out of touch...I didn’t know Thom Yorke had a band with Flea, or who Other Lives are or that Mr Yorke was sporting a ponytail these days. So I’ve learnt loads of things this morning. This is the debut release from Atoms For Peace who, here, remix themselves then remix Other Lives. The A side which I *think* is the Other Lives remix is uniformly excellent. It’s beat-driven in a ‘Kid A’ kind of manner, the beats increasing volume in that manner that Yorke has done on and off since ‘01, introducing something louder than seems strictly necessary but works excellently.

The track would be nothing without the vocal (presumably by Other Lives) which gives an eerie air to the proceedings and suggests a future for Mr Yorke of me enjoying his records where his squeaky whinny is neutralised or cancelled out altogether. It hits somewhere between Grizzly Bear, Autechre, balls out floor filling techno and a bit of Beta Band whimsy here and there. It is most excellent.

So on the flip we get Atoms for Peace which is Yorke/Flea/Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker (REM/Beck/everyone). The track is basically squiggly techno so it’s hard to get a handle on what their forthcoming album may or may not be. Halfway through a wormy vocal appears in and out of the mix, followed by extremely Thom Yorke synth melodies which transform the track into something altogether better with hints of Plaid and Boards of Canada in the slow-mo synth. Despite my general cluelessness, even I am convinced this will sell out in seconds, it’s by a famous person and it’s good. So go get.