Additional Information from Movie Mars
Product Description
Audio Mixer: Tim Holmes.
Audio Remixer: Dot Allison.
Recording information: Orinoco; Speed Limit Studios.
Photographer: Rachael Cassells.
Arrangers: Sean O'Hagan; To Rococo Rot.
Saint Etienne's How We Used to Live single preceded the excellent Sound of Water album and includes the album version of the title track plus two remixes, two new songs, and the video for "How We Used to Live." Saint Etienne pulled out all the stops with the majestic "How We Used to Live." The song veers from Beach Boys-inspired chamber pop to sparkling synth pop to moody soul ballads, all the while brought to melancholy life by one of Sarah Cracknell's best vocals. The two remixes are no patch on the original: the Dot Allison mix ups the electronic quotient and is nosily reminiscent of the rehaul that Aphex Twin gave to the band's "Who Do You Think You Are," and the Aim mix aims for groovy, late-night jazz club territory and does a reasonable good job of creating a reflective, if maybe a bit too repetitive, mood. Apart from the wonderful title track, the find for Etienne fans are the two non-album songs: "Roseneck" is a meandering ballad with lovely chord changes and trippy dub underpinnings, "Red Setter" is also a dubby ballad with a evocative melody and some dreamy vocal harmonies. Filler perhaps, but very nice nonetheless. Only really devoted fans of the band need to seek this one out, as it is not one of their best singles. ~ Tim Sendra
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