Sandboards Takes “I’m a Wheel” on a Stripped-Down Throwback Ride

New Zealand newcomers Sandboards have been making a name for themselves, thanks to solid releases on labels such as Bicep’s Feel My Bicep and Cold Tonic. The house-minded duo, consisting of Eden Burns and Tomas Krammer, have even put in enough work to land them a slot on the legendary Rinse FM. Even though they have a lot of irons in the fire, between playing out and releasing new music, they did find time to sneak in a solid remix. Soundboards have just added their own flavor to an upcoming release by James Curd on the Exploited label.

“I’m a Wheel” is a big house cut with a rolling, energetic, almost lounge-type vibe. The most captivating elements here are the warm, rich vocals of Buddy Zapha—a side project of the infamous Morgan Phalen—and the bouncy layers of piano.

“I wanted to make a piano house track with sounds from my Korg M1,” Curd tells Insomniac. “I sent the instrumental to Buddy, and he brought the whole song up to a new level. His vocals are super pretty, and the lyrical content is abstract but connects with rolling with the punches.”

When Sandboards came in for remix duty, they wanted to strip a lot of those big layers away and take things in a slightly different direction. Burns and Kramer say they were “trying to go for a ‘90s deep house vibe”—and they have clearly succeeded. Forgoing the vocals almost entirely, and chopping the pianos into a catchy loop, the duo instead focuses on creating a body-moving rhythm driven by the bassline. The percussive elements around the bass have a pumping bounce that keeps the energy active.

This energetic yet refined take on “I’m a Wheel” is an excellent complement to the original, as well as a solid track in its own right. It proves that Sandboards are a duo to watch.

Available April 29 via Exploited.

Buy James Curd’s “I’m a Wheel” here.

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