Released at the very start of the year, pop trio w-inds’ “We Don’t Need To Talk Anymore” beat most J-pop to the trop-house punch, leading to a (surprisingly solid!) full-length riffing on similar ideas. The song became a go-to for a lot of remixes from all corners of Japanese music, many of them good but maybe not worthy of putting in the spotlight exclusively. Fukuoka producer NES’ take, though, definitely deserves some shine. Released a couple months back but sounding just as lively in October as it would of during peak summer, his remix of “We Don’t Need To Talk Anymore” transforms the song into a UK garage cut, one accented by sweet strings and these downright rainbow-tinted synthesizer waves. NES reveals a whole new thrilling angle to the song — there is something speedy and playful here, not present on the more dramatic and mid-tempo original, but blooming out totally here. Even the late song drop ups the energy. As great a J-pop remix as I’ve heard in 2017. Listen above.
