Ahead of the release this Friday (Aug 25) of the extended edition of Sun Signature’s acclaimed self-titled EP, maverick singer-songwriter John Grant has shared a subtle electro-pop remix for EP highlight “Apples”.
The release follows previous remixes from Welsh artist Gwenno and LUMP (Laura Marling + Mike Lindsay). This version of the EP also includes remixes from CUTS, Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) and Hinako Omori. The original version of the EP was released last year via Partisan Records for Record Store Day.
Grant says: “I was truly honored and excited to be asked to remix one of the pieces off of Sun Signature‘s exquisite debut EP. The songs are already so masterfully executed so certainly not an easy task. But it was certainly a joy to work on this as I‘ve been a huge fan of Cocteau Twins music for most of my life. It also goes without saying that it was heaven to delve into the beauty of the chord structures and sounds all anchored of course by Elizabeth‘s incredible voice and sense of melody.”
Sun’s Signature is vocalist Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins) and percussionist Damon Reece. Life and musical partners, their eponymous debut EP was Fraser’s first release of original music in 13 years. The project was met with universal critical acclaim, earning praise from NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, NYLON, Fader, Stereogum, and the New York Times, who complimented: “[Golden Air] works through multiple transformations — tinkly Baroque-pop, minimalist a cappella vocal layers, shimmering psychedelic march — as Fraser sings cosmic musings.”
In addition to this extended edition release, Partisan will be re-releasing the original EP, pressed on marbled yellow vinyl for the first time.
Fraser and Reece’s early careers in some of the world’s most heralded musical groups are well documented. Elizabeth, the unforgettable voice of Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil’s cover of “Song to the Siren,” is also internationally recognized for her vocal contributions to Massive Attack’s trail-blazing ‘Mezzanine’ LP – most notably their biggest hit, “Teardrop”. Damon, the long-time drummer with Massive Attack, also spent the ‘90s as a member of Spiritualized and Echo and the Bunnymen. He has also recorded and performed with Baxter Dury, Goldfrapp, The Flies, Butch Vig’s 5 Billion in Diamonds + many more.
The songs on ‘Sun’s Signature’ had been ruminating in the background of Fraser and Reece’s lives in some form for 20+ years, ever since Cocteau Twins broke up in 1997. Highly evolved, yet simultaneously primal – the music is an utterly original, compelling, and lush collection of songs that has developed through an Alice in Wonderland journey through life and music.
The idea for Sun’s Signature was born out of an invitation from ANOHNI in 2012 for Fraser and Reece to be the centerpiece of her celebrated curation of the Meltdown Festival at the Royal Festival Hall. It was there where they debuted embryonic forms of these songs, and ultimately that performance galvanized confidence in the project. Since that performance, Fraser has toured on the recent Mezzanine XXI world tour with Massive Attack, and has further lent her voice to an eclectic range of projects including Jonsi’s (Sigur Ros) “Cannibal”, Sam Lee’s “The Moon Shines Bright”, and Oneohtrix Point Never’s “Tales From The Trash Stratum”. Writing and recording together, Elizabeth and Damon have also provided the soundtrack for Graham Duff’s TV miniseries The Nightmare World of H.G. Wells.
Read more about how the project came together here.
Sun’s Signature EP (extended edition) tracklist:
Disc 1:
1. Underwater
2. Golden Air
3. Bluedusk
4. Apples
5. Make Lovely The Day
Disc 2:
1. Underwater (Hinako Omori Remix)
2. Golden Air (Gwenno Remix)
3. Apples (Will Gregory Remix)
4. Bluedusk (LUMP Remix)
5. Golden Air (CUTS Remix)
6. Apples (John Grant Remix)
Sun’s Signature (Extended) – Artwork || Hi-res here
SUN’S SIGNATURE – JOHN GRANT REMIX OF: “APPLES”
STREAM ON ALL SERVICES HERE
EXTENDED VERSION OF ‘SUN’S SIGNATURE’ EP
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thom@sonicpr.co.uk