Montreal-based singer/songwriter Daniel Isaiah’s sophomore record, Come Into Gone, is an esoteric collection of jangly indie-pop missives routed in introspective heartbreak, and “Heaven Is On Fire” is the cornerstone of a consolingly bleak and all-too relatable breakup album. For a song that’s packed with pacifying vocal runs and melodic hooks that are light as air, it’s the type of track that could easily pull a complete 180 with a bouncy, carefree sonic readjustment.
Enter Montreal electro-jazz duo Saxsyndrum. Dave Switchenko’s tenor sax manipulation and Nick Schofield’s hybrid percussive grooves have made the pair a must-see live act, but their remix of Daniel Isaiah’s “Heaven Is On Fire” puts their studio chops on full display. The source material gets a transformative flip here, with Saxsyndrum swapping out Daniel Isaiah’s ghostly rhythm section for an analog drum machine and a lively bassline, all bathed in ‘80s kitsch.
“I've been joining Dan recently on sax when he puts together his 7-piece, star-studded, St. V street band, and ripping a sax solo to end out 'Heaven is on Fire' has been a highlight for me,” Switchenko told Complex. “When he asked Saxsyndrum to put together a remix, I was delighted. Once we got our hands on the recordings, we cropped a guitar turnaround into an 80's new wave groove, added some big I-don't-give-a-fuck-about bass, and we had electro-pop tune to shake out the summer with.”
The first time Daniel Isaiah heard the transformation, he was blown away: “Whereas the original evokes nighttime for me, and a sinister mood, this one is like an intensely bright psychedelic sun.”
Listen to the Saxsyndrum remix of Daniel Isaiah’s “Heaven Is On Fire” below. You can grab a copy of Come Into Gone via Secret City Records here.
