I like Passion Pit’s Manners, but I understand why a lot of people would be turned off by their everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to music. These guys didn’t waste any of their label-allotted studio time, cramming their debut with all sorts of synths, drum beats and children’s choirs. I think Passion Pit’s enthusiasm and heart-on-sleeveness saves them (unlike the goofballs in Discovery or the underachievers in YACHT), but their brand of hyper-pop can get annoying fast.
Someone who knows a lot about overdoing it is Yasutaka Nakata, producer of the recently discussed Perfume. Nakata took a stab at remixing the Pit’s “The Reeling.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSOko8OM72c&hl=en&fs=1&]
Nakata somehow found a way to make Passion Pit even busier than before. “The Reeling” gets slightly sped up with a few new elements added in (futuristic pulses!), making the original mix sound as sparse as a solo Tuvan throat singer. He at least drowned out the childrens choir, so good work there.