In a landscape saturated with posturing and repetition, Brittany Bindrim, a lynchpin of Chicago’s Industrial Darkwave enclave with I: Scintilla, takes the plunge into deeper waters on her new remix EP, Sea Storm Maestros. A reimagining of tracks from her solo debut, Velella Velella, this EP isn’t just a collection of remixes—it’s a reshaping, a mutiny against the boundaries of the original compositions. Bindrim excavates the raw nerve endings of human consciousness and the fetid air of modern disillusionment, pulling them to the surface with an artistry that oscillates between tender introspection and abrasive corrosion.
If Velella Velella was an odyssey through the wreckage of self-awareness and societal rot, Sea Storm Maestros disassembles that ship and sets the parts adrift on new, choppier seas. These remixes don’t just tweak a beat or add a synth line; they deconstruct and rebuild, often thrusting the songs into entirely new dimensions—resulting into bold recontextualizations that allows each track to bloom, wilt, or mutate depending on the ears they fall upon.
Bindrim’s choice of remixers reads like a who’s who of electronic and industrial insurgents: Matt McJunkins (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, The Beta Machine), Walter Flakus of Stabbing Westward, Daniel Myer (Haujobb, Covenant), Cyanotic, the boundless, and Greg Panciera. Each brings their own arsenal of textures and intentions, injecting new life and threat into the originals.
McJunkins’ reimagining of “Atlas” sets the tone, recasting the track’s brooding atmosphere with a cyberpunk urgency reminiscent of a ‘90s dystopia that never was. Walter Flakus’ “Stabwalt Remix” of “Cast” yanks the track into an abrasive industrial landscape, evoking a sonic tension somewhere between Bowie’s Outside and Reznor’s Downward Spiral. The transformation feels like a psychological scalpel peeling back layers, exposing the throbbing core beneath.
The Boundless Remix of “Volcano” takes a different approach, filtering the original through a Celtic-tinged techno lens—distant, buzzing, and eerily mechanized. It’s a remix that sits at the crossroads of rave euphoria and ritualistic dance. Meanwhile, Cyanotic’s version of “One Fixed Point” oozes with a nod to Ray of Light-era Madonna, yet somehow, it feels more sinister, like a reflection of glitter refracted through a dirty puddle in an alley.
The EP reaches a different height with Panciera’s take on “Obelisk,” where the lead single from Velella Velella is doused in alternative rock grit, layered in a way that bends the track’s original meaning towards something more primal and direct. The closer, Daniel Myer’s remix of “Currents,” bathes in an industrial melancholia that is sultry yet bruised, a fitting end to an EP that thrives on its ability to unsettle while drawing you in.
Sea Storm Maestros is more than a collection of remixes; it’s a dialogue between artists and sound, between what is known and what could be. It is an invitation to dive deeper into the storm and emerge either enlightened or engulfed.
Listen to Sea Storm Maestros below, and order here:
The EP cover for Sea Storm Maestros was created by Bindrim herself and features a vibrant, dynamic sea storm of swirling waves in deep shades of blue. Her blend of surrealism and abstract expressionism evokes a sense of both tumult and beauty; perfectly aligning with the theme of Sea Storm Maestros.
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