The remix pack released by Nia Archives also features reworks from high-profile names like Breakage, Mall Grab, Bakey, and Mount Kimbie.
Paul Woodford is a phenomenon. On some days, you will know him as a house and techno stalwart through his original name, sometimes as Bobby Peru or Hip Therapist; and then comes his rugged Special Request alias, which he kickstarted a decade ago.
Having carved a style unique to his sonic imagination from the experimental trenches of breakbeat techno, drum & bass, and other underground dance music, Special Request now has an identity of his own. While generally continuing to produce club-based material, the Special Request project has occasionally branched out into the intricate and exploratory releases that we have seen from the British producer in the past few years.
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After debuting his first release as Special Request in 2012, the super producer has racked up releases on some of the biggest imprints in underground electronic music, like XL Recordings and Houndstooth, including six full-scale albums.
After a relatively quiet 18 months considering Special Request’s conveyor belt of releases, he has now returned for an iconic rework of Nia Archives’ 2022 hit ‘So Tell Me,’ which has exploded in dance music since its release. The jungle revivalist has been on a run of some sublime releases since her debut, and with the release of her ‘Sunrise Bang Your Head Against The Wall’ Remix EP, she tasked some of the finest producers from the UK Underground to deliver their unique spins on her originals.
The package also features thrilling remixes from the likes of Breakage, Mall Grab, Bakey, and Mount Kimbie on tunes like ‘That’s Tha Way Life Goes,’ ‘No Need 2 Be Sorry, Call Me?’ ‘Convienency,’ along with the title track.
Coming back to Special Request’s rework of ‘So Tell Me,’ the Leeds-based man adds a strapping undertone to the tune’s nostalgic vibe, which is then taken over by old-school drum work that is delivered with tantalizing progression. Iconic indeed.
