Anyone who knows me, knows I’m weak for dark pop remixes of lofty, joy pop. I revel in the way they shiv the soft spots of the merry melodies, covering them in the blood of the song’s dark undercurrent; and every good song has one, even, ostensibly happy songs–hell, definitely happy songs.  I’ve said many times to never trust a happy song: any one that doesn’t make you want to stab your ears out (from being saccharine) is exhaling notes and lyrics after tough times. That’d earn nature of relief is precisely why a great, ‘happy’ song is so enthralling to listen to.

Shine 2009’s “Older”, which came out earlier this summer, is precisely one of those tracks. It’s wistfulness, it’s hopefulness was belied by an acrid anxiety, a hopefulness that you wouldn’t be rejected. It’s a song of looking out into the eyes of a more experienced other, and appealing (if not barely pleading) to use, connect, and guide your way into the future through the strength of their loving knowledge.  There’s always a hidden message of fearfulness, but its only present intuitively and in nuggets through the song, as the melodies are more given to squashing it in favor of simulating the swelling freedom you hope to happen if the person you’re chasing just says fucking yes.

But Null’s remix peels all that away. Suddenly it’s the base emotions, before the gloss and the lies and the thinly veiled pleading makes its way to the forefront. Both versions of the track are honest, but Null’s take is a courageous exploration of the unpalatable side, the darkness everyone wants to pretend doesn’t exist. Their production is entirely non-formulaic, retreating the song to the genesis of thoughts and emotions in the heart, the  nervous pacing and practicing of one’s words you get ready before you put yourself at risk. It’s a beautiful, stark shivving of “Older”‘s underbelly, and what it shows is at the heart of the track is a beautiful person wandering around lost and a desire to leave it all behind. Who can’t love that?

Follow Null on Soundcloud and Facebook.

Follow Shine 2009 on Soundcloud and Facebook.

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