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Newcastle’s post-hardcore riff-masters Ruled By Raptors talk to us about their brand new remix track
Post-hardcore band Ruled By Raptors prepare to release a remix EP next year, and they’ve been tantalisingly drip-feeding tracks over the last few weeks. On Friday 6th October they drop the latest track, Dance of Wolves, remixed by West Yorkshire-based producer Jack Byrne. Here, bassist Nick tells us a bit more about the project and how the track came about…
We, as a post-hardcore band, often rely on our skills at writing abrasive, angry and heavy breakdowns. That or we write vulnerable lyrics with big expansive choruses. So this remix game is a totally new experience for us. When Jack reached out to us we’d just finished recording our EP Silent Sound so we discussed the idea of Jack taking our tracks and changing them into something different. And we’re so glad we did.
The original version of Dance of Wolves explores the difficulties of people who stand by those who struggle with mental health. We often find ourselves focusing on those who are struggling and trying to show support for those, which is great. But, we often forget about those who stand by them. The song really is an expression of love and gratitude to those aforementioned people.
Jack takes that concept and finds a way to find joy in our admittedly, deliberate melancholy music and vulnerable lyrics. He really changes the whole feeling of the song. He weaves a bouncing and positive almost dance song while the lyrics explore a dark and delicate subject matter.
The song actually came about in a little bit of an unusual way for us. Normally we all sit down together and write the instrumentals of the song together. Then we let Chris go off and find a topic to write lyrics. But this time Chris came to us with a pretty much fully written song. Once we heard Chris’ first rendition of the track everyone else pretty much just knew what to do.
What I love most about Jack’s remix is that he finds a way to give lyrics a fresh poignancy. The first few renditions of the chorus in Jack’s remix really captures a totally different kind of vulnerability to the lyrics. It really lets them breathe and exist solely on their own. Towards the end Jack takes a different turn to how we had first ended the song. Adding in extra choruses at the end and letting you breathe in the arpeggiating synths and fading out to a dead stop.
While still to this day I am incredibly proud of the original version of Dance of Wolves and will always love playing the song live, I find myself drawn in by Jack’s remix. I’m so excited to be able to share this with the world. And I look forward to releasing the further remixes to come soon.
Dance of Wolves, the second track off the Silent Sound Jack Byrne Remix is out 6th October. Ruled By Raptors playing Head of Steam with Wyres, The Go Go Midgets and Holding Out on Saturday 7th October.
