Midlake - 'Roscoe' (Bella Union) Released 30/04/07

Midlake’s second album ‘The Trials of Von Occupanther’ was undisputedly one of the zeniths of 2006. And ‘Roscoe’, the album’s opening track, sums up exactly the Texan band’s brilliance perfectly; dreamy, inimitable vocals from Tim Smith, delicate pianos and impossibly affecting instrumentation, all with heartfelt lyrics layered on top. A spine-tingling combination that you’d suspect would only win over the indie fraternity. How wrong we were. Already guesting on The Chemical Brothers new LP, it now seems that everyone in the dance world is queuing up to remix Midlake. Three heavyweights on the scene lend their interpretations of ‘Roscoe’ to the package – Justin Robertson takes it all Baleriac, while Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve (aka Erol Alkan and Richard Norris) give it an ethereal dusting. But pick of the bunch is Jody den Broeder’s meaty progressive remix that somehow retains the dreamy radiance of the original, but gives it enough muscle to ignite dancefloors.