By: Sterling Martin

Transcending genre barriers and experimenting with style conventions are nothing new for Desert Dwellers and its main members Amani Friend and Treavor Moontribe. This past spring, the duo released the biggest album in the act's storied career, The Great Mystery. Now Desert Dwellers have called upon some of their best friends in the industry; veterans and newcomers, alike, to take on these incredible tunes and add their own flavor.

Opening with “Wings of Waves,” reimagined by Liquid Stranger, their new release gives the listener just a tease of what to expect from this first installment of The Great Mystery Remixes Part 1, which comes out September 21. A bouncing, mesmerizing beat is found rather quickly, and is only suppressed in order for suspense to gradually increase. Tolling, echoing bells serve as a means of catapulting the track forward without ever losing its eerie tone.

In the Tribone RESTOMP of “The Great Mystery,” a deep, trance-like groove pays homage to the original. Using precision—from the eastern vocals, to the intricate, tribal drum racks, and even to the synthwork—Tribone has found a way of exploring the previously encountered to create a new work of art.

On his “Lost Tribe Mix” of “The Sacrament,” Twin Shape uses skillful chops and astounding sound-design to please any set of ears. A glitch-heavy, airy vibe places this remix in a class of its own.

Although AtYyA’s take on “Birds Over Sand Dunes” may lack excessive bass and computer-generated sounds, it’s arguably one of the most entertaining songs of the release. A minimalist approach of “trap style” drum beats, along with brilliantly placed areas of silence, are together used in order to create a more laid back experience for the listener—you won’t notice yourself dancing until your volume maxes out and you become aware of the strange views being cast in your direction.

As the album comes to an end, it becomes more fluid—flowing effortlessly from climax, to drop, to song—as transitions are blurred and extended. Part one of this remix album comes full circle with it’s final track, another imagining of “Wings of Waves” by Hibernation.

Various other artists like Govinda, Gaudi, Land Switcher, and Drumspyder were enlisted by the Desert Dwellers for the remix album, which is as cohesive as The Great Mystery, itself. There are those like “View of Laniakea,” remixed by acid-crunk expert An-ten-nae, that not only revamps the track, but further allow the remixer’s signature talents to shine through. That comes through even more clearly when you hear how Kaminanda reinterpreted the track the same track, but in a totally different way. His tribal trance remix stands in start contrast to the acid crunk, but both extend and experiment with the source material. So much variety packed into just this first half of the remix album.

Make sure to grab The Great Mystery Remixes Part 1 if you're a fan of any of these artists, or just want to find a good entry point into psychedelic dub! This collection will whet your appetite for the second volume, which comes out in October and features Emancipator, Whitebear, Sixis, Mystral, Supersillyus, Halfred, Master Minded, and many others.

Download the remixes from Desert Dwellers' Bandcamp on September 21!