Earlier this year, the Montreal-based band, Perestroika, released their single for “Distraction.” It’s early post-punk sound, akin to the tenacity of Musta Paraati or Kino, holds a danceability that could only be emphasized by fellow Canadian synth artist, Xarah Dion. “My initial idea with Distraction was to preserve the edge and energy of the song while giving it new aesthetics for the dance floor,” says Dion. “I augmented the instrumental with lines from the SH 101, Juno-106 and samples from the 909, directing the flow towards an Italo Disco / Hi-NRG inspiration.”
The flirtatiousness of Dion’s remix is palpable: “Composition wise, while I preserved Taylor’s original vocals, I provided a different key to the instrumental to be able to provoke a new modulation in the bridge-like addition. I also layered my vocals to brighten the spectre and confer a more romantic tone to the finish,” she says.
Dion’s injected energy transforms “Distraction” from a post-punk affair into a fun, immediately lovable dance track for all genres. Listen below:
Purchase the song via Perestroika’s Bandcamp.
Follow Pereststroika on FB and Xarah Dion on IG.