The new Galantis EP, The Devil's Tax Return: Volume 1, came out on October 16 through Counter Records, an imprint of Ninja Tune. Swedish producer Christian Karlsson, also known as Bloodshy, reworks six songs that shaped him long before Galantis began, starting with The Killers' 'When You Were Young'.
At a glance
- Artist: Galantis (Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson)
- Release: The Devil's Tax Return: Volume 1
- Label: Counter Records, part of Ninja Tune
- Tracks: six reworks
- Lead track: The Killers' 'When You Were Young'
What we know
The lead track is not a standard remix. Karlsson loops the parts of the 2006 song he likes most and adds garage-style bass and drums, keeping the big melody while making it work in a club.
He said it felt strange that two decades had passed since he first heard the song, and that he has always loved how The Killers mix a Springsteen-style grit into an indie track. The rework was his way of celebrating that.
The tracklist
Karlsson started with almost 100 possible songs and cut the list down to six. Next to The Killers rework are versions of Feist's '1234', Frankie Valli's 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You', a stripped-back José González 'Stay Alive', Paleface ft. Kyla's UK bassline track 'Do You Mind' and The War on Drugs' 'Red Eyes'.
Apart from the Valli song, most picks come from the time when Karlsson stopped writing for other artists and started Miike Snow. He is now going back to that period with new ears and new tools.
Behind the title
Karlsson said he had been working on the project for years, and that the hardest part was handling songs he did not write. In his view, a rework either has to top the original or find a completely fresh angle.
He explained that he called himself the devil for touching classics, while the 'return' is what listeners get back from him loving the songs enough to take the risk.
Why it matters
Karlsson has a long track record. As Bloodshy, with Pontus Winnberg, he co-wrote and produced Britney Spears' Grammy-winning 'Toxic', and he co-founded Miike Snow, the trio behind 'Animal' and 'Genghis Khan'.
As Galantis, he has two songs in Spotify's Billions Club, 'Runaway (U & I)' and 'No Money', plus chart-topping dance collaborations with Dolly Parton and David Guetta. This EP shows a more personal side of him, built around his own record collection. Fans down under can also check out the Galantis Australia tour.