Live Review: Bearcubs remixes Polographia's 'Heart Attack (feat. Rush Midnight)'
Jack Ritchie, aka BEARCUBS, is a 25-year-old British producer making immersive electro-pop. He's just released a reworking of Melbourne duo, POLOGRAPHIA's, 'Heart Attack' (feat. Rush Midnight), with sparkling production that brings to mind MOUNT KIMBIE's glitchy electronica and JAMES BLAKE's more spectral moments.
Bearcubs quietly opens with a distorted vocal. Drenched in subtle reverb, he ushers us in gradually, building his layers slowly. A soft crackling almost like fire creates the impression of space. Through this, a dry beat emerges. Shaking off the intro's fog, we're treated to a bouncier, more energetic few seconds. Here, some snappy snares counterbalance the wooziness of the rest of the track. This is a darker, more echo-y rendition of Polographia's smooth house creation, with the duo agreeing, saying, "This cool electronic flip of "Heart Attack" by Bearcubs captures a darker side we never knew the song could have.”
Snippets of the original are interspersed throughout, husky, whispered, distorted. There are some moments of quiet, but these are quickly supplanted by the chorus, where Bearcubs ramps it up, adding layers upon layers for that extra punch. Production on this one is super tight, with twangs and textures providing interest in the background, vocal delays adding to the ambience and clanging rhythms introducing more of a dancier vibe in the song's latter half.
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This is all evidence of the careful craft that goes into Bearcub's music. It's clear this young producer still has a lot to give. With an album release on the horizon, he's set the bar pretty high but we're sure he won't disappoint. As for Polographia, the duo have hinted that they're ready to make 2018 their own, so keep your eyes peeled for more stellar tunes from these guys as well!
Image by Dan Knott
Words by Camilla Patini
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