DJs/producers Magda and Nyma’s Define the Relationship series has taken an idiosyncratic approach to the realm of the remix, and the latest installment is no exception. On May 26, 2015, the pair will unveil a radical reinterpretation of Joy Division’s post-punk classic “Love Will Tear Us Apart” as realized in collaboration with French electroclash veteran Miss Kittin.
While the previous tunes tackled as part of Define the Relationship found Magda and Nyma working their magic on the original versions of the tunes — LL Cool J’s “I’m That Type of Guy,” Jody Watley’s “Looking for a New Love,” Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You” — this time around they brought in a guest to redo the song from scratch, and judging from the results, Miss Kittin seems to have relished the responsibility.
In place of Joy Division’s angular, urgent guitars, drums, and keyboards, Magda and Nyma have concocted a micro-universe of minimalist electronics. And in tribute to the band’s tragically short-lived frontman, Ian Curtis, Miss Kittin crafts a different persona for the tune entirely — one that’s full of intensity but also possessed of an intriguing archness only she could bring to the track.
There are four different versions of the tune to be found on the EP, each one with its own distinct personality, so don’t trail off after the first track assuming you’ve heard it all.