Every once in a while, you encounter a song that has mastered the perfect blend of old and new, one that spirals your ears into nostalgia while simultaneously creating a new toe tapping beat that sticks to the walls of your brain. Alas, that is this song for me today. Mitch Murder is the multi-talented alter ego of Swedish producer, Johan Bengtsson. I was drawn to this remix (and four track release) because it reminded me a lot of Russ Chimes’ three part music story, Midnight Club. Similar concepts, but totally different ideas and back stories, which is probably why I’m so thrilled about this. I rarely do this, but I’m borrowing the text that I found on the soundcloud page of this story, because it’s well worded and gets to the point quickly:
As the story goes Mitch is an overworked Wall Street I.T. from the 80’s who dreams at night other realities for himself. These are the soundtrack to his dreams. The first offering, “The Touch” is the retro-futuristic anthem of a peaceful world that’s just uprisen from it’s dark chaotic post apocalyptical past. Straddling the line of french touch, 80’s soundtrack and robot disco band music it seamlessly carves out it’s own sound space.”
I love that! Anything that has to do with uptight and overworked money wranglers on Wall Street losing their cool and going nuts-o, makes for an entertaining and hella wild roller-coaster ride of insanity. Movies have done a pretty good job of depicting this storyline (see: Leo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street”), but I rarely hear a song, rather, a set of songs, attempt to tackle the same subject matter. It definitely feels twisted, when you listen to all four in one sitting, like there’s something shady going on but definitely on a sub-molecular, micro-cosmic level. I almost prefer the musical rendition, because it leaves more to the imagination, rather than building the story up and then dropping it before your eyes all at once without any other choice. There is no set storyline, there’s just a subject and a pretext to that subject’s mental well-being. That’s all you really get.
I recommend listening to all four songs, but this remix happens to be my favorite of the lot. I also recommend a good pair of headphones and an open mind, because if your ears could funnel movies into your brains without your eyes, I would imagine the experience to be something like this.