Dave Aude ft Andy Bell - Aftermath (Here We Go)

Ace remixer and knob twiddler (steady!) Dave Aude has been popping up on my mp3 shuffle more and more recently lately. There was his scintillating remix of Asher Monroe's Hush Hush. He's more recently reswizzled the ubiquitous & all conquering Let It Go (from Frozen) into a commanding dance anthem that would make Martha Wash proud. Heck he's even transformed Lea Michele's Cannonball into a frenzied floor filler of epic proportions. However, it's his exquisite collaboration with pop legend Andy Bell, Aftermath (Here We Go), that has most firmly grabbed my attention this week (thanks to a tip from my jolly good buddy Larry Flick). I love how evocative that title is - the word "aftermath" instantly conjures up images of the carnage, devastation, heartbreak & unfortunate consequence. Add to that the parenthesis of (Here We Go) and even before the track starts you are preparing yourself, girding your loins as it were, to embrace fully what is to come. Luckily for the listener, the lyrical aftermath is presented with such shimmering beauty & nuanced narration that it's hard not to be swept along for the ride. It's set to a percussive groove that ebbs and flows with intoxicating beats and a surging synth effect - this thrillifying instrumental is the most lovely juxtaposition to the melancholy vocal delivery from Andy as he ponders the inevitable impact of diving into a relationship once more (note: some of my favourite Erasure compositions are the more downbeat numbers. Breathe, You Surround Me, Am I Right, anything from "Erasure", et al). There's a positively gleeful moment at around 1m11 seconds where a drum loop kicks in as Andy sings "Here We Go", almost as if it is giving him the courage & stamina to take the leap, thrusting him into the titular aftermath and us into that soaring, ebullient chorus. And it's a chorus that refuses to quit - giving melodic wonder and dance floor eleganza, all intricately entwined for maximum effect. It feels both on trend and yet like it eschews trends to create something more timeless, enduring and captivating. A wonderful pairing on a glorious single - make sure you buy buy buy when it's released next week!!