Svetlana: Reel to Remix: Night at the Movies Reimagined

Russian-born, New York-based singer Svetlana finds inspiration by being playful during post-production on Reel to Remix: Night at the Movies Reimagined. Taking six tracks from her 2019 release, Night at the Movies (Starr Records), the singer reconfigures her original takes, spicing things up. Though some might say that this style of remixing can seem gimmicky or overworked, Svetlana is fresh in her approach and the ways the songs move away from where they once were.

"Pure Imagination" is a fun song to begin with. It has a whimsical quality, and Svetlana heightens these echoey, magical sounds. Though she is not trying to be Gene Wilder, the atmosphere rings with nostalgia. Yet, it is grounded in a rhythmic hip-hop atmosphere. The sonic distortions, notably in the backing vocals, border (nicely) on creepy and cool. As with the group Ours Samplus, the singer focuses on blending different tones to create contrast; not enough to alienate listeners, but just enough to make the tracks stand out, to lure audiences in.

With these six tracks featuring songs from the 1960s to today, the singer creates an interesting tension between her smooth, svelte voice and the whirring, grittier techniques of remixing. "Moonlight" starts with romantic strings and thrumming bass. As Svetlana's voice enters, we get a shaky, shimmery version that matches established style—and sometimes not. Purposeful but also very effective, this style exhibits the artist's adept aesthetic sensibility, her ability to understand her material and rearrange it. The track is a fun piece in its original conceptualization and in this updated version.

Remixing is not a new technique; it has strong roots in dance-hall culture and DJ music from the mid-20th century. In the jazz world, Madlib's Shades of Blue (Blue Note, 2003) is an important project, and more recently, the record label Jazz is Dead created an imaginative set of releases in 2020-2023 featuring artists like Marcos Valle and Tony Allen. The point is to make it your own, to accentuate the unique aspects of the songs. Svetlana does this very well, though a song or two might not hit as smoothly as the rest.

All things considered, Reel to Remix is an enjoyable listen that not only adds to the musician's oeuvre but also adds to the remix genre on the whole. The techniques used on the six tracks pay homage to tradition without appearing overly so. Because Svetlana's vocals are so smooth and lush, the tracks already have a natural sleekness. The distortions, repetitions, and other modes of remixing generate further layers, morphing the original songs into fresh sounds.

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