Romantic darkwave duo Lebanon Hanover (aka Larissa Iceglass and William Maybelline) is an esoteric taste: they dwell in a sphere of intellectual wit and melancholy. Ellen Allien, Berlin techno luminary, and BPitch label founder, took inspiration from Lebanon Hanover and upped the tempo, creating new remixes for the songs “Living On The Edge” and “Invite Me To Your Country”.
Ellen’s signature as a DJ and artist are the use of vocals in her sound, often augmenting productions and sets with her own voice. Forever editing and remixing tracks for her own use, experimenting with effects, she sculpts music to create specific moods for every dance floor. They captivated fans, as well as Lebanon Hanover themselves, who clamoured for an official release. Now, those wishes are answered. Darkwave and techno have always had a close relationship, and these remixes demonstrate a seamless blending that both illuminates and cross-pollinates their divergent musical attitudes.
The melancholy romance of Iceglass’ vocals is still present, but Allien elevates the beats for body movement. Her explosive 146bpm remix of ‘Living On The Edge’, a digital exclusive, is a vast and perfectly of-the-moment techno cut. Larissa’s vocals sit comfortably on top of the higher tempo and thumping drums, managing to preserve the original spirit of the song in a more thunderous context.
Ellen’s techno reinterpretation of ‘Invite Me To Your Country’ features pulsating kick drums and an air of menace, as Ellen skilfully piques our emotions by retaining the key motif and guitar riff from the original version.
