If you miss the sound of 2000s electro house and electroclash, this one's for you. Berlin-based Neu-Romancer has remixed "Witching Hour" by Dima Kosmetika, turning it into a special electroclash and indie sleaze version that's made for dark, sweaty dancefloors.
Who Is Dima Kosmetika?
Dima Kosmetika is a Berlin-based producer and DJ who runs his music under the Kosmetism name and is connected to the Disco Noir collective. He's a familiar face in the city's club scene, with sets at the Disco Noir nights at Bulbul between 2022 and 2024, a Disco Noir Showcase at Loone, K3LLR at Lauschangriff and Jupiter Room at Sameheads. He has also played outside Germany, including Operator Radio and Radio Tornado at Club Centraal in Rotterdam in March 2024.
Remixing is a big part of his catalogue. Over the years he has reworked tracks for LO-NRG, put his spin on Ivan Cattaneo's "Bang Bang" and remixed "Silver Train" by Silver Dagger and Rebecca U.
The Witching Hour EP on D21
"Witching Hour" is Dima's new EP on D21, a label from Montevideo, Uruguay, that focuses on techno, electro, EBM, ambient and industrial sounds on vinyl and digital. D21 introduces the EP as coming "From Berlin", with sounds influenced by dark disco and new beat. Besides the original mix, it features two remixes: one by Tyrants to the Void and this one by Neu-Romancer. The EP was mastered by Vincenzo Salvia, and Dima made the artwork himself.
Who Is Neu-Romancer?
Neu-Romancer is the project of Laura Bailey, an Australian musician from Fremantle in Western Australia who now lives in Berlin. Her debut EP Neue Romantika, an Italo-flavoured mix of techno and darkwave, came out in January 2023 on Fleisch, the label run by Zanias, and included a Zanias remix. She also plays bass in VV & The Void and the punk band CIERN, and she's part of Zanias' live set-up. On top of that, she has remixed artists like JOON and Moderna.
Fun fact: she's not only the remixer here. She's also credited as studio producer on the release.
An Electroclash Throwback
Neu-Romancer's take is inspired by 2000s electro house and electroclash, which makes it a nice contrast with the dark disco and new beat influences of the EP as a whole. It's fully instrumental and runs well over five minutes, giving DJs plenty of room to work with. If your idea of a good night out involves a dark room, a strobe and that slightly messy indie sleaze energy, this remix will feel like home.
Remixes like this show why that mix of electro grit and indie attitude still works so well on a big system.
A Tip for Independent Artists
Dima put the streaming release out himself under his Kosmetism banner. If you're an artist who wants to do the same, DistroKid makes it simple to get your tracks onto Spotify, Apple Music and the other major platforms, and this link gives you 7% off your membership.
What Do You Think?
Are you ready for an electroclash revival? Which 2000s club sound would you love to hear back on the dancefloor? Let me know in the comments!
