New Vacant Lots track remix by Robert Levon Been (BRMC) Via Louder Than War:
Blending proto-punk and psych as effortlessly as you’d expect from a Vacant Lots release, the Departure remix sees throbbing Nightclubbing-esque electronics interlaced with distorted, hard-hitting guitars and vocals that are just as snarling as they are detached. First conceived when The Vacant Lots were writing their 2014 Departure LP but left unreleased and having now evolved over the years since, the song became a staple of the band’s visceral live performances and is now set for a long-overdue vinyl release in the form of a 7” with an etched B-side that’s limited to 500 copies.
Talking about the Departure remix – mastered by Maurizio Baggio (Boy Harsher, The Soft Moon, Merchandise) and housed in stark, minimalistic artwork by longtime visual collaborator Ivan Liechti – The Vacant Lots’ Jared Artaud, says: “In order to translate our recorded songs into our live set we continually have to reinterpret our music and transform them, since there are only two of us. However, with this remix, Robert has done the reverse and brought the live spirit of this song back into the recorded one. It’s something only he can do. He added some sounds that truly make it more dynamic and powerful. It’s an honour to collaborate with someone from one of my favorite bands of all time.”