The Exaltics - Das Heise Experiment (The Remixes)
Admittedly, I arrived late to The Exaltics party. Still, funny enough, my first interaction with this brand of intergalactic industrial came when I first heard Das Heise Experiment 2 [The Prequel]. Since then, I've always thought of The Exaltics as a crafty, vicious hive mind that has come out of the darkest reaches of space, which could have been partly (or wholly) due to the work on that record. After paying more and more attention to this unnerving brand of celestial electronica, I was right. The Exaltics are an industrialised space-faring race, the Uruk-hai of the stars. Their sound is full of battering blast beats, and tinpot snares demolish everything before them. The latest release by The Exaltics expands the lore surrounding these hostile alien beings in the form of a remix EP of Das Heise Experiment 2.
The record begins with a new take on 'Dreizehn' from The Exaltics in collaboration with ADULT. The reimagining is called 'Dreizehn Habits', a track that seemingly has everything you could want while also sticking true to form with bombastic beats that could break a jaw, heavy-handed Hoover's revving wildly an unmistakable chant of "Habitual!" Next is less of a reimagining and more of turning the whole thing on its head. Gesloten Cirkel's remix of 'Sieben' is an all-out action-packed trip while keeping the essence of the original. Cirkel keeps the atmosphere and wickedly sludgy acid. Everything is more aggressive, in your face and coupled, giving a feeling of marauding through the cosmos. For those who know Gesloten Cirkel's work, you get what you expect. Cirkel's remix adds another dimension, a brutalist industrial edge.
K1 delivers an out-there take on 'Acht_', stripping back most of the acidic elements to add these science-fiction flourishes all over the cut. These layers of noise are integrated into every aspect: snares hiss like pistons, and the melodies bubble away like hot engine fuel. The final track on the remix EP, 'Zeowlf', is ideally placed as it catalogues the aftermath of The Exaltics. The intro depicts shattered equipment floating through space, drifting slowly closer until an ultra-smooth 4x4 groove enters the fray. Although the most downbeat of the four, metallic baselines keep the track progressing while keeping it all about atmosphere. As the beeps and bloops fade into obscurity, the percussion is blown away by a solar wind. As a collection, Das Heise Experiment (The Remixes) punches well above a "remix album." The energetic and inspired choice of contributors bolsters the already stellar catalogue of The Exaltics while breathing fresh life into a classic album.
Tracklist:
Dreizehn Habits - The Exaltics, ADULT.
Seiben (Gesloten Cirkel Remix)
Acht_ (K1 Return Mix)
Zweolf (Arpanet Helium Shell Remodel)
Label: SolarOneMusic (2024)
The Exaltics - Das Heise Experiment (The Remixes)