Darren Keen “One Beat” (BSN Posse Remix)

Last month, Darren Keen dropped off his keyed-up, melody-rich Roland Is My Co-Pilot EP on the legit af street bass label Seclusiasis. It goes off. Now, Dev79 and Starkey’s imprint turns around to issue the remix pack, in which Darren has called upon a solid team of beat gurus to work out a collection of high-end low-enders.

Spanish footwork dons BSN Posse come through to flip the second cut “One Beat” into a hot mess of pure auditory excitement. It’s minimalism done big. A frenetic broken beat slices through choppy vocals, ethereal pads and skittering synth stabs. BSN Posse are always on their game.

Ahead of the Remix Is My Co-Pilot release, you can score yourself this sweet, limited-edition bamboo USB necklace that’s loaded up with so much win. First off, it doesn’t get any cooler than bamboo. Also, it’s equipped with sick content including the original EP, the remix EP and the RIMCP stems, so you can try to outdo the contributions from Starkey, Normaling and a few others.

Available February 24 via Seclusiasis.

Who is the ideal person to remix this track, and why?
Darren Keen: BSN POSSE! They made a couple of my favorite footwork-influenced tracks last year. They, like me, incorporate lots of other elements into their sound (specifically, I’ve noticed a largely Spanish/Latin sound in a lot of their work). So it was great to hear them flip a song of mine that had a little less character in the harmonic structure. That high synth they added in is sort of indicative of what I’m talking about.

Do you think advances in computer technology and gear have affected your creativity? How so?
BSN Posse: Maybe a little, but we think that the most important thing is in your head: your own ideas and creativity.

How does this production reflect your personality/ethos?
DK: I’m a wild dude, and I like a lot of weird, extreme sounds. In the original version of this track, there is a minute or so in the middle where I am using one of my favorite little Ableton tricks to make this long series of insane, glitchy sounds. It’s abrasive, there is no beat, but it’s also really beautiful and fun and playful. I am abrasive, beautiful and playful, so it works.

How do you measure the success of a track?
DK: I like to produce usually 3–8 songs at a time, and it’s usually because I have some breakthrough in sound design or am chasing a very specific creative impulse. If I am true to that impulse, and if my productions keep sounding clearer and communicating better with people, then I have been successful.

Have you played this one out in any of your sets? If so, what was the response?
BSN: Yes, we’ve played this track in a couple of gigs recently, and probably the best moment is at minute 1:13—there is a little swerve after the first drop… and people seemed to be impressed by it.

What’s your favorite sound/synth/effect/etc. used here, and why?
DK: I like the sounds that have a quick attack, no release, and hardly any sustain—mallets and punchy percussive beeps. Synths that sound like drums, and drums that sound like synths. I also like the default Operator patch, which is just a single sine wave. I keep things very simple when it comes to production; however, after listening to lots of Zouk bass via Them Flavors, and Grime/Street Bass via Seclusiasis, I am starting to get interested in putting some louder, more intense synths in my music. I’ll be stepping dubbly in no time, or whatever the kids are saying these days.

If this song were a color, what color would it be?
BSN: Red, like fire!

Pre-order the remix EP here.