Pitchfork Forkcast: On Repeat: Booka Shade: "Darko (Le Grand Noir Club Mix)" [MP3]

On Repeat: Booka Shade: "Darko (Le Grand Noir Club Mix)" [MP3]

There was plenty to dance to on Booka Shade's Movements (the #50 entry on Pitchfork's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2006), but "Darko" was one of the disc's more cerebral tracks-- one that proved just how much they could blur the line between dancefloor-ready and headphone-ready without readily fitting either mold. And while the Darko Remixes II 12" that this track is taken from features versions by heavy-hitters Tiefschwarz and Radio Slave, lesser-known Le Grand Noir turn in the most effective reworking, crossing the t's, dotting the i's, and dragging the original like a hesitant friend onto the floor.

It takes a good two minutes to get off the ground, swapping out the original's introductory rubbery organ whoosh for a more ominous beat-- but just when you expect a straightforward upshift, it lets out a lightning scream of guitar, and the original's understated beat becomes a monster, evoking one breathless moment where the doors fly open, the lights flood the room, and everyone moves.

MP3: > Booka Shade: "Darko (Le Grand Noir Club Mix)"
[from Darko Remixes II; out now on Get Physical] | [ORDER]