R. Missing - Crimeless

May 6, 2021 - Sugarcane Recordings

New York City duo Sharon Shy and Henry Frost’s collab project R. Missing is a dark synth-laden vision in velvet, and their latest single comes ready-to-wear all week with a handful of supporting remixes. 

‘Crimeless’ on its own offers a micro-narrative, weaving together a story of chance meetings and intrigue with a moody synth instrumental that works to both emphasize and haze over the vocals. Shy inches close to the listener, enunciating sharp consonants like burnt sugar. The production dips around these points, dotting the landscape with shards of brittle candy. At times, the wash of synths and pads pushes past the levies, drowning out Shy’s voice and carrying the piece further away from shore. Though the track keeps a consistent level of energy throughout, these moments work to drive tension; the atmosphere of the piece pushing against the steady pulse of the main melodic line. 

With their remix, Icelandic band GusGus turn their eyes to the stars, opening a portal with an eerily familiar arpeggiated analogue synth line. Shy’s narrative remains the same: vague mentions of place and time and hands and longing. The dance-ready kick guides the piece toward the club, though the rest of the percussive elements remain minimal and out of the way. GusGus further explores this side of their own interpretation on their second “clean” version, which remains mostly the same as the “unclean” version minus the kick and other drums. 

The second remix comes from UK duo The KVB, who bring the party back from the upper atmosphere and down to a damp, chilly basement show. It falls more in line with the original track, opting to replace the synth pulse for a more consistent percussive heartbeat. The instrumental swells in between the verses, pushing the experience to the edge of comfort while giving the softer periods room to breathe. The remixes work well to show different angles of the same idea, peering at different views of the same scene. 🍍