Naturliche Liebe

The duo behind the name Tillmanns is a quiet yet persistent presence at the fringe of the Gothenburg pop scene. Unconcerned with both the poseur appeal of being in a pop group and the market standard of keeping up with new releases, they seem content with popping up now and then to reveal a tiny new masterpiece. Like this for instance, a perfect summer anthem to escape into. Like a dash of saltwater and a hot breeze in the face of hardship. And it seems justifiable in these times to cast a longing look toward simpler and more positive visions of nature and love, preferably with hooks borrowed from the realm of New Order and The Cure.

The track in question happens to share its title with a German new age track from 1982 that somehow ended up a DJ favourite of the Italian cosmic scene as well as part of the balearic canon of Ibiza. Coincidence or not, this short leap from the dancefloor to the beach is an attitude that prevails on this single release: a kind of open door policy with its roots in the convergence of pop and dance music of the mid 80's. An attitude that is also shared with the two remixers chosen for this release, two fellow Gothenburg locals with equal footing in club as well as pop music.

Dan Lissvik should need no introduction, either as solo artist or remix mastermind. Usually you can expect him to transform any kind of track into a balearic jaw drop, often adding his own distinct guitar and percussion palette. Here, however, he doesn't need to mold the original too hard, just subtly softening the edges to submerge the whole track in a haze of grooviness.

Mythologen on the other hand steers the track into a whole different direction; slowing things down with a heavy thumping beat dragging along like an anchor on a seabed of psychedelic sludge, getting caught in phaser filters along the way. The guitars at the centre of the original have here caught a backwards wind and sails along like a mournful farewell.

Words by Simon Eliasson