The first few shots of Ooberfuse’s music video for “Call My Name” are pieced together seamlessly, with one scene flowing into the next like some sort of summer daydream. One moment we’re standing on a street corner taking in the sights of a foreign land, the next we’re watching Ooberfuse set up their equipment in preparation for what could only be one of their much-hyped live performances. Suddenly, we’re back in the open-air of a beachside drive, exploring palm tree-adorned roads and looking on as children play peacefully in the sunlight.
Unlike “The Noise” remix of “Call My Name,” this version of the song (which was artfully concocted by none other than Paul Kennedy) is shrouded in light, bubbly beats and an exquisite vocal harmony that could play as well in a nightclub as it could on a road trip through the backwoods countryside. There aren’t any explosive instrumental breakdowns like there are in the “Push The Frequency Festival Mix” of this song, but this video’s backing track is nonetheless a perfect fit with the imagery that it inspired.
Ooberfuse made a total of five remixes for “Call My Name” (all of which are included on the extended play of the same title), but it’s Kennedy’s version that I’ve come to consider the most compelling of the set. The video aside, there’s so much expression in this track, so much unconcealed emotionality, and it’s brought to our attention more vividly here than it is in any of the other mixes included on the EP. From a producer’s perspective, it’s not only one of the most complete tracks on this record, but also the most instrumentally compelling.
Where Hal St John strips away the electronic faceting that we hear in the other versions of “Call My Name” and replaces it with some glittery guitar melodies, Kennedy keeps all of the techy tonality right where it is and amplifies every texture that it can produce. Even at moderate volumes, this mix is shaking the floorboards beneath our feet and giving us cause to hit the club whether we were originally in the mood to go dancing or not.
Rooftops, rainy streets, the flashing lights of an urban metropolis, nameless faces sharing in the joy that comes from listening to a really inspirational melody – they’re all here, in this amazingly positive music video for Ooberfuse’s “Call My Name,” and no matter what sort of sound you fancy the most, you’re not going to find anything quite like this comprehensively engaging audio from the extolled British power duo this summer.
I’m hoping to see Ooberfuse live when they hit the road in support of the Call My Name EP, because if they are able to successfully bring this music to American shores over the summer, they stand a good chance of jump-starting their brand in a western market that has been aching for some interesting electronica for over a generation now. Neither the American underground nor the mainstream have given us anything as exciting as these two just have, and that’s precisely why I think Ooberfuse need to raid the States as soon as they possibly can.
Keep an eye on Ooberfuse HERE.
