Romantic darkwave duo Lebanon Hanover (aka Larissa Iceglass and William Maybelline) is an esoteric taste: they dwell in a sphere of intellectual wit and melancholy. Ellen Allien, Berlin techno luminary, and BPitch label founder, took inspiration from Lebanon Hanover and upped the tempo, creating new remixes for the songs “Living On The Edge” and “Invite Me To Your Country”.
Ellen’s signature as a DJ and artist are the use of vocals in her sound, often augmenting productions and sets with her own voice. Forever editing and remixing tracks for her own use, experimenting with effects, she sculpts music to create specific moods for every dance floor. They captivated fans, as well as Lebanon Hanover themselves, who clamoured for an official release. Now, those wishes are answered. Darkwave and techno have always had a close relationship, and these remixes demonstrate a seamless blending that both illuminates and cross-pollinates their divergent musical attitudes.
The melancholy romance of Iceglass’ vocals is still present, but Allien elevates the beats for body movement. Her explosive 146bpm remix of ‘Living On The Edge’, a digital exclusive, is a vast and perfectly of-the-moment techno cut. Larissa’s vocals sit comfortably on top of the higher tempo and thumping drums, managing to preserve the original spirit of the song in a more thunderous context.
Ellen’s techno reinterpretation of ‘Invite Me To Your Country’ features pulsating kick drums and an air of menace, as Ellen skilfully piques our emotions by retaining the key motif and guitar riff from the original version.
“I’m a fan of Lebanon Hanover. They’re my weekly soundtrack at home, dancing around the carpet with my friends,” says Ellen. “They display a radical side without screaming, but understated and cool, clever poetry and stories in every song that appeal to me completely. Their lyrics speak to my soul and embody a feeling for me of where I come from. The Berlin of the past, that was empty and changeable, full of possibility from which we were finally able to blossom. Although Larissa sings in a very pretty way, the attitude is one of truth and melancholy, not pretending that the world is sweet and happy, but full of intensity, it’s sexy and truthful.”
The result is a match made in goth club heaven. Watch a preview of the mix of “Living On The Edge” from Ellen Allien’s Balcony, below:
The Lebanon Hanover “Ellen Allien Remixes” are out digitally on October 22nd, 2021 via BPitch, with the vinyl scheduled to ship the following February.
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