"All Through Space (Mono No Aware Remix)" by Robert James Grey
Feature
I tend to have a complicated relationship with remixes. I struggle to reconcile feelings such as "if I felt the first version was that good, how can I deal with the changes?" and "if the artist has come up with a song they are really happy with, isn't it a bit disrespectful of a third party to suggest they can improve it?". On the other hand I'm fully aware that producers may try a range of mixes pre-release and equally I often praise people for writing songs which they can then perform in a variety of formats.
However I feel I'm on safer ground when an artist makes it clear that they approve of a remix & so since Robert James Grey says he really likes the ‘Mono No Aware Remix' of his May 2025 single "All Through Space" by his friend James Clark who am I to quibble?
In fact the reimagining is quite radical: and one which on paper looks risky to the point of not being workable.
Given the haunting and intensely emotional nature of the original song, the undeniable elements which made it so strong, the melding with "..a vibrant beach club aesthetic.." seems so perverse as to almost represent the absolute polar opposite vibe. Maybe the extremity of the vision goes so far that it qualifies for the potential benefits of counter-intuition?
At any rate, Robert, who clearly poured his soul into the song, likes it & taken on its own, I'm happy to say that the stated intention of creating "…the perfect soundtrack for late summer evenings and long drives…" definitely works fine.
So coming to it fresh, I'd say people will enjoy it on those terms: and if it brings this fine and dedicated artist more fans from amongst the dance orientated community, that's excellent.
The tension remains however for those of us who have heard & liked the first mix.. and I'm not sure I have fully processed this myself. I may well go for preferring one over the other, but I think that's permissible? Anyway, creating tensions for listeners & challenging them in such ways is no bad thing: they are certainly vastly preferable to being doled out bland fare which sparks no internal debate nor reaction.
