John Askew & Shelby Merry – Wild Horse (Original & Siskin Remix)

Seasoned JA watchers will immediately sense the change in gear, tone and intent: somewhat akin to an out of body experience for the English producer. ‘Wild Horse’s intense, humid atmospheres haze the studio’s windows, as its beats kick with a slower, more brooding resonance. Around them artfully drawn strings, celestially streaming fx and the most casual or breakbeat loops all raise its pressure. Think mid-nineties Massive Attack, with heavier drums and you’re not far from the mark.

Having previously cut her teeth on ‘Steady & Stronger’ and ‘When Darkness Comes’, Nashville’s Shelby Merry is already a thoroughbred Askew collaborator. ‘Wild Horse’ may be a case of ‘saving the best (or at least most intense!) till last’. From the opposing perspective she relates a tale of deception, gaslighting and mindgames, baring her soul to convey real world conversations and experiences. Contrastingly, she shares her story of ‘girl-meets-wrong-boy’, leaving it up to the audience to conclude who’s saying what – and to what end.

John deferred on the remix, passing ‘Wild Horse’s reins to an outfit eminently capable of handling complex lyrics (you could even say they’ve built a career on it!). For something as intimate as ‘Wild Horse’, progressive forms the perfect bedrock, which is exactly what Sue and Suzanne supply. Drum roll, pulsing LFO, reverb-heavy percussion, raincry harmonies and Siskin’s fluid melodies all lend Shelby’s song a curiously optimistic filter.  

John’s Original ‘Wild Horse’ [blackhole.lnk.to/wildhorse] arrives on the 9th, while Siskin’s club orientation lands one week later on Aug 16 [blackhole.lnk.to/wildsiskin]. ‘A Room Full Of Pros & Cons’ will be released in Sept. 2024.  

Tracklist
01. John Askew & Shelby Merry – Wild Horse (Extended Mix)
02. John Askew & Shelby Merry – Wild Horse (Siskin Remix)