Minimatic – Another Superstition [Tour Eiffel]

When a contemporary remixer takes a classic slice of soul into the lab it is generally to crank up the funk for the dancefloor. Here Niçois musician, producer and master of the cheeky rework Minimatic turns the process on its head.

Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ is one of the most universal party tracks; instantly recognisable from Jeff Beck’s drum track intro, it transcends genre in its popularity and is almost guaranteed to fill a ‘floor within sixteen bars. In fact, though frequently requested, for many a DJ (at least those who share my snobbish leanings) it is considered too obvious to play to any serious audience, being relegated it to the wedding crate.

But for its irrepressible clavinet hook and exuberant horns, Stevie’s message carries a sinister tone, brought to the fore here by Pascal Roubert’s brooding, cinematic take as Minimatic. Dark and introspective in sound, it could almost be Portishead at the desk.

Despite doing a similar job on the Jackson Five’s ‘ABC’, spinning it out into a swelling, euphoric indie epic, this shoe-gazing stance is but one string of the man behind Tour Eiffel’s bow; being as at home creating elegant, Riviera lounge or using his mastery of vintage kit and fidgety electro production to build hysteric, swinging euro-kitch boogaloo sevens for the club. In the latter, Minimatic’s oeuvre of superiorly sophisticated mash-ups is then a perfect foil for that of Badass 45 boss and fellow funky Frenchman Sir Jarvis – and anyone who can make Lady Gaga remotely palatable (‘Lady Cha Cha – Just (Latin) Dance!) or turn Serge Gainsbourg into dancefloor dynamite (‘Yé Yé’) is alright by the Crate.

‘Another Superstition’ by Minimatic is available as a download from minimatic.bandcamp.com [Tour Eiffel Records]