Over a year ago, and before their successful performance at renowned Rock en Seine music festival, duo Rose Rose released their acclaimed EP Eye to Eye, with hits including Sky Queen (with almost 700k streams on Spotify), Charlotte, and Sugar Hill (each of which also amass over +500k streams). Today, the Paris- and London-based pair releases an extended version of that EP, the Eye to Eye Remixes, which includes alternative versions, remixes, and exclusive new tracks. In addition to their own remakes, they’ve also invited fellow DJs and producers like Roisto, Gystere or Elephant Talk to take part in it. Have a listen!
Known for its catchy sound blending ‘70s disco, dreamy keys, and rhythmic guitars, the original Eye to Eye EP undergoes a makeover that, rather than a makeover actually, is more like a dolled-up version. The sound keeps an overall nostalgic feeling for past eras and includes other influences like French touch and more electronic beats. In the words of the artists: “We decided to make disco with electronic sounds, strip the tracks back to their essence and electrify them.” And the result is a total of eight tracks: two remixes of Charlotte, three of Sugar Hill, and three of Sky Queen, his most streamed song from the EP.
The remixes EP starts with Sugar Hill - Night Version, which puts the original song to an even higher level with pulsating disco beats and a more electronic touch in the vocals (very Daft Punk-esque in a way). The other two remixes of the song are by Roisto and Gystere. The first is a faster-paced version (but don’t think TikTok sped up, rather more upbeat and danceable) that also plays with electronic twitching of the voices, while the second brings this tuning to another level but turning Rose Rose’s voices into high-pitched, almost mechanical sounds. The base breaks from the usual beat and becomes more irregular, very in tune with the current deconstructed music we hear in progressive producers.
Charlotte has two remixes. Just like Sugar Hill, the first one is the Night Version, which again, is a dreamier version of the original, perfect to listen on a road trip under a starry sky. The second one is by Pastel, who’s given it a very retro touch. And then we find Sky Queen’s four new takes. The Night Version follows the same idea as the previous two: beautiful group vocals opening the song to later become a more disco-y version of the original. The other two remixes are the last ones in the album. The first one is by Elephant Talk, and it’s probably the most club-ready and the most uplifting. Then, the final song of the EP is Sky Queen - Moonlight, which creates a mental image of serenity, magic, and oneiric spaces. Indeed, it’s the most stripped-back version, where the vocals become the main characters and are accompanied by minimalist instrumentation.
In all, the Eye to Eye Remixes EP proves how good Rose Rose are at producing. Some artists say it’s difficult to know when a work is done, that it generally speaks for itself. After releasing their original EP though, they must’ve felt the need to explore new territories with those songs, see where else they could’ve gone. And with this new record, they’ve proven that a song can take a thousand different paths and, with mastery, all of them can be right.