Certain Creatures - Interpretations Vol. 1 - Nasadiya Sukta (2018)

Through the looking glass comes Interpretations Vol. 1, the first in a series of remix EPs from MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP. This first installment follows the release of Certain Creatures' Nasadiya Sukta — a deep-listening ambient album par excellence — and features four remixes from the record by Patrick Russell, Birds of Prey, tdel, and Gunnar Haslam, plus an additional original bonus track from the Nasadiya sessions.

Vol. 1 opens with a half-time dub version of "Cross Star Woman," courtesy the peerless Patrick Russell, celebrated for his mind-altering DJ sets on behalf of Interdimensional Transmissions, The Bunker NY, and Mysteries of the Deep. He transforms that tune's slow throb into a rolling, undulating bassline, maintaining its original tempo but doubling up on percussion, splitting the difference between ambient and abstract.

Next comes a revision of "We Live Inside a Dream" from Birds of Prey, a collaborative effort from Clay Wilson, Eric Holmes, and Mysteries' founder Grant Aaron. Their edit unearths hypnotic rhythms from the murk, pairing mesmerizing snare drums with the sear of synthetic bowed strings.

One of Nasadiya Sukta's breakout tracks, "Nyau Dust," is reworked by tdel, the alias of rising Atlanta-based producer Tom deLaubenfels. He cuts up the original, rebirthing it as deep, staccato techno. Last but not least is New York techno mainstay Gunnar Haslam's version of "Golden Circle," pumped up with potent bass-weight energy.

Completing the package is "Seven," an original bonus work from Certain Creatures. Its nervous drone and drum-focused energy wouldn't have made sense on Nasadiya Sukta's final cut, but it's a perfect way to cap off this suite of remixes.