Kimbra - Settle Down (M-Phazes Remix)

Details:
In preparation for some remix work that I need to do, I've decided to do my next few entries on some remixes that I like. Here's one by M-Phazes on a track from Kimbra's album, Vows. The remix can be found as the 13th track from the deluxe edition album Vows (2011) (Warner Bros.) or on M-Phazes - The Remixes.

Groove:
Listening through, the tempo sits at 92bpm on what I would call a partially swung groove with some 'looseness' about it. The bass plays a large part in this with its sway to and from the beat and varied rhythmic patterns. I get the sense of a 'late' bass and early snare/clap making everything quite 'headnodic' for me. The swing of the groove becomes more obvious at 1:10 where hi hat and snare drum are added. I think the dynamic of drums holding a steady pattern whilst the bass takes the dominant position creating countless rhythmic variations is brilliant. The swing of the drums maintains a strong organic feel whilst remaining constant in terms of notation and groove. It provides an excellent platform for the bass which on the whole is quite complex. It's a great reminder that drums don't need to be complex to create a great groove. If I need a rhythmic variation in my music I should look at the bass  before the drums. Keeping one element constant is often needed to allow another to spark into differentiation.

Bass Tones:
Whilst on the topic of bass, this sound uses some distortion. It's operating in some very low sub-frequencies and that distortion is one way to help it catch your ear. As the bass is a primary element in this track, this effort to highlight it among other sounds is quite important and implemented well. The other really enjoyable element of the bass in this track is the prominence of sliding between notes. As it covers a broad range of notes in parts the slide effect definitely adds to its organic qualities.

Vocals: 
Kimbra's vocals are very clearly multi-faceted throughout the track with the combination of backing sections and alternating panning for interesting effect. On one level the separation between these voices can be heard with the central, relatively dry, breathy vocal holding our attention while the more effected and panned vocals fit into the 'distance'. Listening to the break at 2:45, I can hear Kimbra's trademark 'boom, baahhm' bouncing in combination with the use of 'hey!'s for rhythmic accents.

Dynamics in Arrangement: 
With the original album version of this track timing in at 4:08 (94bpm) and M-Phazes' at 5:20 (92bpm) there are some aspects of arrangement that have differentiated this remix from the original. Both make use of dynamic variation with break sections. On first observation though, I'd say the remix builds to it's climax a little slower than the original. Further, the original has stronger contrasts in intensity where the remix keeps quite a casual feel throughout.

Thoughts: 

I love this remix, it's become more familiar to me than the original. The use of a consistent yet organic, swung drum groove whilst creating the majority of rhythmic interest/variation with bass is definitely something I'll be taking away from this one.