Van She | Don’t Fear The Reaper [Holy Ghost’s B-Live Mix]

The year is drawing to a close. I can’t speak for you (though oh, how I try!), but I’m getting ready to put on my sparkliest outfit and go out to some lame New Years party where I will inevitably drink too much and end up trying to kiss too many people when the clock strikes midnight. That’s how I roll.

Do you know what’s as earnestly convoluted as my New Year’s intentions? The Holy Ghost remix of Van She’s cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” (See, I told you it was convoluted.) But as convoluted as this mixture seems (a remix of a cover) it’s really quality. The work and care is present, hence the earnestness of this equation. This wasn’t Van She just crapping out a cover, and Holy Ghost deciding they’ll fuck around with it a little. There appears to be actual effort here, which is something I can certainly appreciate.

A fairly mellow remix (to be fair, “Don’t Fear The Reaper” isn’t exactly a booty-shaking jam), I would imagine this would enter the New Year’s party rotation after the ball dropped, when people are still going, but not with quite the enthusiasm they were previously. A collective breather, if you will.

Van She doesn’t really take too many risks with this cover, instead going with the flow and sticking to the roots of the original. Holy Ghost throws in enough of a backbeat to keep you moving. And it intensifies, hitting the first peak around 1:50, throwing in some swelling piano in the background to add a little drama.

As it continues, the remix only throws more at you. The synths pull in around 2:00 and start becoming really noticeable around 2:30, moving back down to instrumentals around the 2:45-3:00 mark. The real breakdown occurs around 3:55, where Holy Ghost just let themselves go. Throwing in more synth, and a pick-up of the drums, they crescendo back into Van She’s repetition of “don’t the reaper,” building into a satisfying climax which ends the song. If the words “satisfying climax” have put your mind into a more of a party-for-two mood, I have a feeling this song would be excellent for that as well. Pop it on your “boning” playlist if you want. I won’t judge. Neither would P. Diddy.

If you’re wondering where you can sample the remix, pick up a high quality mp3 (for free!) from Holy Ghost’s website. Happy Holidays (or happy regular days) to you and yours. And if you see me on New Year’s….make sure I get home alright, okay? Thanks. I appreciate it.

by allison levin