“I absolutely love remixes, someone else’s interpretation, or complete destruction of a song,” says Peter G. Holmström, guitarist/keyboardist of THE DANDY WARHOLS. His obviously-not-unprompted statement refers to ROCK REMAKER (release date: May 16, 2025 via Sunset Blvd.), The Dandy Warhols’ upcoming EP of remixed tracks from their critically-hailed album ROCKMAKER which was released in 2024. “On this EP, we got to work with some favorites… Andy Bell from Ride and Oasis, Anders Trentemøller, Oliver Ackerman from A Place To Bury Strangers, and Night Club.”
The initial remix to be released is A Place To Bury Stranger’s re-imagination of “I Will Never Stop Loving You.” The original – the dark album closer – featured Blondie’s Debbie Harry, whose radiant vocals provide a bright contrast to Dandy Warhols’ vocalist/guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s sinister growl. The remix amplifies Holmström’s searing guitars and positions Harry’s vocals front and center while Taylor-Taylor’s ominous repetition of the song title lurks in the shadows.
“I’ve been a massive fan of Oliver (both A Place To Bury Strangers and Death By Audio) for ages, so I’m honored that he picked ‘I Will Never Stop Loving You’ to remix,” chimes Holmström. “His flavor of audio destruction and Debbie Harry’s sublime vocals… Perfect!”
“[ROCKMAKER] is a total reinvention of the band, so to be asked to do a remix from this record was an absolute honor for a band that I have loved for so long and is still making incredible and pertinent music,” beams A Place To Bury Stranger’s Oliver Ackermann. “I got a chance to smash reverb tanks, throw guitars, melt tape, and blow a cloud of sonic destruction with two of the most iconic voices in the music industry Debbie Harry and Courtney Taylor. Mind blown!”
Elsewhere on the EP, GLOK (the electronic alter ego of Andy Bell of shoegaze legends, Ride) strips away the verses from “Alcohol And Cocainemarijuananicotine” and isolates Taylor-Taylor’s mantra of the illicit substances in the chorus, transforming it into a percolating and hypnotic synth anthem. Copenhagen’s celebrated electronic artist Anders Trentemøller overhauls the textural fuzz of “Teutonic Wine” (which Far Out Magazine called a “thunderous wall of sound”) and positions the vocals atop funky, deep midnight dancefloor rhythms. While ROCKMAKER embraced elements of goth and darkwave, Los Angeles-based electronic duo Night Club ups the ante in their reworking of “The Cross,” propelling it into a gravedigger battle against goth club staples as Front242, Joy Division and Killing Joke.
The “New Bass Remix” of “Root of All Evil” pumps some industrial soul (and moves the horns up in the mix!), while highlighting the song’s meaty basslines. “Jagz Kooner reworked his album mix with the additional bass from Melvin Brannon who Courtney and I knew from The Dan Reed Network,” explains Holmström. “The first time Jagz heard ‘Root Of All Evil.’ he thought it had a bit of Sly Stone. Melvin was the obvious bass player to take it farther in that direction.”
Fueled by the ecstatic reviews of ROCKMAKER which featured guests Frank Black, Slash and Debbie Harry, The Dandy Warhols have re-cemented their foundation in the pantheon of rock mainstays. The Arts STL describes ROCKMAKER as “a kaleidoscope of sound and style as only The Dandy Warhols can bring with their infectious and psychedelic vibes that can’t be pigeonholed into a single genre, so don’t even try.” The Spill Magazine lauds, “ROCKMAKER embodies a sonic evolution for The Dandy Warhols, characterized by a deliberate emphasis on guitar riffs over chords and melodies.” Vanyaland adds, “The Dandy Warhols have never been ones to fall in step, so it’s little surprise that their new LP ROCKMAKER doesn’t necessarily meet or exceed expectations as much as set its own bar.” Downtown Los Angeles praised, “Combining psych-rock, shoegaze, power pop, synth pop, and more with the cheeky detachment of their pop-art namesake, the Dandy Warhols are equally skilled at heady reveries and satirical pop.”
With ROCK REMAKER continuing ROCKMAKER’s success while the band continues working on the follow-up, there seems to be no plans for slowing down in their near future. The Dandy Warhols is Courtney Taylor-Taylor (vocals, guitar), Peter G. Holmström (guitar, keyboards), Zia McCabe (keyboard, bass, percussion), and Brent DeBoer (drums, backing vocals). ROCK REMAKER will be released May 16, 2025 via Sunset Blvd.
Photo Credit: Nicole Nodland
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