Kai Takahashi Remixes Phoenix’s “Entertainment,” It Rules

I wouldn’t go as far as to say Kai Takahashi’s remix of French outfit Phoenix’s “Entertainment” is better than the original…but it is definitely more consistently good. What bugs me about the Phoenix cut is how the hook just sort of hangs in the air, the driving energy of the verses gone in favor of this arena-ready thing that just…isn’t the band’s forte. It wants to be big and dramatic and a total pull-out-the-iPhone moment, but Kai Takahashi avoids this problem by turning the whole thing into a laid-back groove, one coasting by on Takahashi’s fat synths. He plays the main synth melody using only twinkles and the children’s choir that pops up late in the song, which also helps his version to stand out. And it still manages to have an emotional payoff – late in the song, while Thomas Mars’ sings about rather being alone, acoustic guitars join everything else and lend the song a downbeat vibe. Absolutely fantastic remix from one of Tokyo’s most promising. Listen below.