Photo by Sandlin Gaither

Floating Action – “The Balance” (Jim James remix)

In the post unleashing his remix of “The Balance,” the lead-off cut from Floating Action‘s 2011 LP Desert Etiquette, My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James calls the record “a relatively unknown masterwork of our times.” His own version of the patiently building ballad reworks it until it is almost unrecognizable. From the gospel organ and diminished guitar that gorgeously opens things up to the way he isolates Seth Kauffman’s quavering vocal, James tears the song apart, maintaining its laid-back mood while emphasizing the band’s penchant for lo-fi psychedelics. Tones bend and shift unexpectedly. Instruments drop out only to be replaced by new ones. Jim James does his best Barry White in a bit of beautifully batshit narration that he inserts near the end. In all, it’s a loving and reverent rimix that nonetheless shakes the foundation of its source material, a testament to the connection that led James to put out Floating Action’s upcoming Fake Blood LP — which will be co-released by Harvest Recordings and James’ label, Removador.—Jordan Lawrence

Photo by Alexis Schwallier

PANrmx

Columbia post-rockers Pan released their strong second album, These Are The Things I Love and I want to Share Them With You, to local ears in March. On August 28, the LP will see a national release. In between, though, the Post-Echo collective which released These Are The Things… gathered its forces to assemble this free-download remix compilation. Contributors include Columbia’s Ramphastos and New Zealand’s Glass Vaults, as well as other Post-Echo associates in various guises. Most of the retooled takes run a glossy electronic sheen over Pan’s dynamic expanses, but the dubstep drops in Gardnsound and RAG3face’s take on “Joe Frasier” and the churning electro-pop of J. Criss’ “Jeau Frazieur Deathpop Remix” offer surprising reinventions of Pan’s sound. —Bryan C. Reed

Porter Robinson – Spitfire bonus remixes

In an interview with Rolling Stone, published last week, the ascendant 19-year-old, Charlotte-bred EDM producer Porter Robinson laid out his vision of EDM’s next wave. “I’ve been gauging crowds, and I think right now they’re really excited by shocking use of minimalism. I think the other thing that’s been largely unexplored, especially in American dance music, has been hyper-emotional, goosebumps-inducing, chills-inducing music.” Whatever that next sound is, with big-time press, a residency in Las Vegas, and a co-sign (and label deal) with EDM poster-boy Skrillex, it seems pretty safe to say Robinson’ll be involved with it. Last year’s Spitfire (stream it here) offered a somewhat scattershot representation of what Robinson could do, from grinding techno to the more spacious, minimalist trance he referenced in the Rolling Stone interview. The three remixes Robinson released July 3 (available for stream or download here) with contributions from Lazy Rich, Dirtyloud and Bjorn Akesson, however, favor the producer’s inherent dynamics: bombastic bass surges and driving, syncopated passages. Only Bjorn Akesson’s revision of “Spitfire” dares to strip away the percussion in its ethereal opening, before launching into driving techno. The remixes offer plenty for fans, just not necessarily a clear idea of where Robinson’s headed next.—Bryan C. Reed