William Orbit - Purdy

Uber-producer William Orbit’s track ‘Purdy’ is given the remix treatment by a bunch of heavy hitters on his new EP, and while some are more effective than others, all of them (as well as the original mix, taken from Orbit’s recent album ‘My Oracle Lives Uptown’, which is also included) are designed to fill dance floors. ‘Purdy’ itself has been floating around since 2007, when it was featured in an H&M advertising campaign also featuring Madonna (with whom Orbit has done quite a bit of work, including producing her ‘Ray Of Light’ record). So the original mix is nothing new to most listeners, but still resonates with a propulsive spirit and a buoyancy that remains fresh and vital. There is an ethereal atmosphere created by the track that is vibrant and rich, and would certainly get most listeners to move something, which is the ultimate goal of any dance track.

The real draw of the ‘Purdy EP’ are the remixes, most notably the version by Chicane, himself a legend of dance music in his own right, whose remix is featured twice on the brief EP, both in an edited format and the lengthier, eight minute mix. It’s a slow building track that only hints at the dynamic rhythms of the song at first, before unleashing the full melody over three minutes in which creates a playful tension within the mix. And from there on it’s a guaranteed dance floor filler, with a driving beat throughout and an inherent exuberance built into the music. West London’s Greenmoney remix is next up, and they switch things up a bit, bringing a bit of dance-hall dub-step to their mix. It’s a lively track, but ultimately is a bit too repetitive to hold one’s interest for the entirety of the mix. Billy Buttons adds some airy female vocals to their mix quite successfully, and the song is able to soar because of it, while still maintaining the high-octane feel of the original. Henner & Green go for a really deep house approach for their remix, aiming for a bigger sound and scope than the others, and while the first few minutes are sonically interesting, the long fade out becomes tediously boring.

Based on the solid source material Orbit provided with the original track, the ‘Purdy EP’ succeeds because all of the remixes have something stylish to work with already. And while some of the mixes work a bit better than others, there is a little something here for all varieties of nightclub that is guaranteed to fill their floors. But the best of the lot was always bound to be Orbit’s original mix, which proves once again that the man has a golden ear and simply knows what sounds good, and how to make it so.