From the moment Télépopmusik’s “Breathe” bubbled to the surface in 2001, the now ubiquitous song has soothed our collective psyche for two decades now. Whether you heard it in a club, TV commercial or browsing in a store, the juxtaposition of co-writer Angela McCluskey’s breathy, Billie Holiday-esque delivery and the dreamy track crafted by French producers 2square and Antipop is now a timeless arrangement.
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of “Breathe” comes a remix package featuring seven versions of the now-classic song. Mounika’s mix slows the proceedings down to a head nod, stripping the song down to the floorboards with acoustic piano, airy drums and McCluskey’s incomparable voice. Digitalism reimagines “Breathe” through the lens of French Touch, complete with filtered disco loops. The Kid Francescoli remix traipses around the outskirts of Italo- and indie-pop, while Juicy Cola ices the track with shovels of chill vibes. The collection is rounded out by an epic, percolating take by Krystal Klear and Speaking Mind ushering the song into the realm of electro-charged broken beat.
The anniversary remixes are enjoyable, but none equal the majesty of the original version. It’s understandable, because you can’t duplicate lightning in a bottle. Arriving near the start of the new millennium, “Breathe” continues to age well. It will no doubt continue to delight for decades more to come.