Welly band This Silent Divide is a major, directed force building in the New Zealand music industry. These guys need to get on the road and dust off the passports, because places like Melbourne, Los Angeles, London, Glasgow, Dublin, Buenos Aires – the rock centres – will lap these guys up. I’m reviewing a remix of their debut single release Lucinda, and I am increasingly convinced of the commercial intelligence these guys possess, following listening.

I never reviewed the original rock version of the track. It’s fistful of throaty rhythm guitars, deep and thundering along with some wicked bass and solid drums. The perfect rhythm section sound for my tastebuds. Lead guitar and the signature soaring vocals raise the song to anthem status.

And then they send me this.

Teaming up with Wairarapa-based isunray (just a casual drive over the light, carefree Remutaka Hill Road), they have created a synth-driven dance-floor filler. This one retains Shaun‘s vocal chops, and still retains a deep and fat (or phat? I may be Gen X but I’m down with these kids!) bottom end, and it also retains its tangible chord progressions – but all in a synth-pop vibe which I found rather great!

Coming from the 80s as I do (if you’re from the 80s you know it’s a place, not a time. if you know, you know. You know?) I found this track dripping with dance phrases and synth programmes and settings that could fit in with the likes of Erasure, the Pet Shop Boys, through to the more indie of the genre like Talk Talk or the amazingly talented keyboard chap from Coventry futurists King. It captures the energy of those times, times when this sound was being introduced for the first time. What it also does is retain a contemporary feel to it, that a good producer can find and cement in. This stops it from being retro, while giving it the fun sound of the era.

Definitely one to listen to at the club. I would love to see the guys try it out at a show, to see how it goes. This would also work with the windows down, touching the speed limit on a hot afternoon, with your mates. It’s a remix that will appeal to musical extroverts. Very well considered, and very commercially appealing. This single could sit on George, on the mainstream commercial channels like ZM or More FM. The student stations and the growing fan base for This Silent Divide will enjoy – as I hope will isunray‘s fans.

isunray has polished this song into this genre intricately. Several layers of synth can be discerned, and the track has a completely different energy to the original. Use the search tool on this site for isunray – it’ll take you to his Linktree.

Very good work indeed people.