Timewitch - Miniature Trails of Light

Before their self-titled debut album launches in July, Timewitch is serving up a slice of leftfield experimental electronic music in the form of their EP “Miniature Trails of Light”. What it does is take the best song from the album and has it remixed six times over by various artists. Though I reviewed Timewitch’s debut just a week or two prior to this and had lukewarm reception, ‘Miniature Trails of Light’ was the stand out piece on the album. I originally wrote that it is a “five-minute and twenty-two second electronic piece that might have been what Kraftwerk would’ve sounded like should they have chosen to begin their career in the 90s.” Having faith in the original mix of the title track, I am pleased to announce that the remixes do the track justice – for the most part. 

Psychic Sarahs, whose name alone fits the original, cult vibe of Timewitch’s essence, starts off the remixes strong. Ambiance is added into the background of the track, giving it a spacey vibe, while the techno bassline is more underground than it is up, front and center. A very atmospheric dance track that keeps the original rhythm alive while making it more suited for the dancefloor. Lazy Couture hits out a remix on the album by keeping the crazy synth work alive from the original version, but refining the tracks focus on the drum’n’bass elements. So, rather than turning out a club banger I feel as if Lazy Couture was going for a semi-relaxed and almost cinematic feel to the track. Almost like an opening credit to a sci-fi film or otherwise.

AoS turns up the BPM and even includes a couple of squeaky vocals into the mix. This didn’t really do much for me as it reminded me of one too many YouTube remixes labeled as Nightcore mixes that simply speed up the song and don’t do much else. While, yes, I understand that there’s much more to this remix than that, the beat wasn’t nearly as experimental, odd, or generally Timewitch-y as I would have expected it to be. Creeping Man turns out the only remix that truly delineates from its source material. Rather than going with the flow, Creeping Man fights against it by taking the dark ambient influences from Timewitch and running with it. What we get is a very moody, cinematic piece that could easily be used in a horror film. I imagine a detective questioning someone in an asylum who either knows too much or has seen too much – and sends warning to the protagonist before huddling up in their corner. The song doesn’t last too long, either, coming in at a short, clean, and respectable three-minute and eleven-seconds. Well done. 

Divider Line’s remix was another I wasn’t too fond of. It’s a stripped-down version of the original track utilizing quiet noise elements. But, by and large is it a boring affair that’s extremely repetitive and lasts way too long for the amount of material found within. I listened to it once, tried it twice, and found myself skipping it before two-minutes had passed. The last remix on the album comes from Puzzleboy. This is another artist that took the original concept of the song and twisted it completely around. Honestly, the only way I could tell it was a remix of the original was due to the vocal samples and some of the wonky electronics being present. Other than that, it’s a straight-up synthpop jam that has beautiful charm to it all. A+ on this one. 

While Timewitch’s debut album did receive lukewarm reception from me, I find that I have wildly enjoyed “Miniature Trails of Light” much more. Psychic Sarahs, Lazy Couture, Creeping Man, and Puzzleboy deserve much praise. A solid seven out of ten.