Patrick Kelleher’s album You Look Cold broke into view from some beautiful outsider place, leaving ripples in the shape of breathless critical reviews, vocal support from members of the old guard of Dublin’s underground scene (such as David Kitt), and an exciting flurry of DIY activity emanating from his loose collective of musically talented friends. Now, before those ripples have even begun to ebb away, the album returns, remixed in its entirety as You Look Colder.

There are always worries with this sort of project, such as the chance that remixed work won’t stand up to the source material, the inevitable whiff of vanity, and the potential for the whole thing to come over scattershot because of the number of individuals involved. Thankfully, and somewhat miraculously, You Look Colder avoids all of these pitfalls. Whether it has something to do with the original album’s magnetic charms or simply a fluke, its remixed cousin doesn’t merely work as a stand-alone record but sounds remarkably coherent to boot, with a luminous Kraut vibe all of its own.

You Look Colder also succeeds as a pick ‘n’ mix showcase of Ireland’s burgeoning underground (especially if you like your pick ‘n’ mix basted in LSD). The artists involved have mostly spun Kelleher’s original tracks into forms that succeed in communicating what their own work has to offer. For example, Hunter-Gatherer’s subterranean nine-minute remix of ‘Blue Eyes’ leads listeners into a cavern of rising dread that will be familiar to any fan of his ghost-riddled electronica, and Jape’s take on ‘Wonder’ sparkles and bounces with the same exuberance that runs right through Ritual.

Elsewhere, the album drips with intriguing offerings from less well-known musicians in Kelleher’s orbit such as Hulk and School Tour – artists who are currently flying well under the radar but who deserve the exposure afforded by this project. You Look Colder is a brave, strange, and, most importantly, successful project which is an essential purchase for anyone interested in beardy music of an Irish stripe. Darragh McCausland

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KEY TRACKS: UNTIL I GET PAID (SCHOOL TOUR REMIX), BLUE EYES (HUNTER-GATHERER REMIX).
FOR FANS OF: KRAUTROCK, JAPE.