Last year at this time, Steven Jones + Logan Sky gave us a winter themed EP for Christmas. This time the vibe is a little more disconsolate. Europe’s major democracies are collapsing. And then there’s America. I understand it if you want to sit this holiday season out. It’s time to reflect on just how we ended up in this place. It’s time for “Dark Thoughts.”

Steven Jones + Logan Sky: Dark Thoughts – UK – DL [2024]

1. Dark Thoughts 4:23
2. Dark Thoughts [Disappear Dub] 4:36
3. Dark Thoughts [May be Horizon] 5:37

This was a slinking prowler of a tune with uneasy, disrupted beats that held banger-status at arms length. Preferring to cling to the shadows as the only light glinting through the intro were the flute-like synth patches. Eruptions of white noise yowled catlike in the gloom as Mr. Jones entered the song; his sultry delivery dancing with the tension of the vibe. Squelchy interjections from left field kept this one from a predictable path.

The band’s own dub mix slashed the lyrics down to a single crucial line from the lyric and without Jones being as large of a presence, the lurching instability of the music bed was emphasized, save for the glassy string synths that got pushed up in the mix. The climax of the mix stayed true to the 7″ version with Jones repeating “do you know how it feels…to disappear” one last time with the hollow, metallic throb of the synths receding like a siren in the distance.

The remix by Sven Horn dialed back the intensity of the bass synth’s attack and added haunting choral patches to dissipate the drama in the song for a more ghostly vibe. The rhythmic attack had a funkier syncopation than the single mix. Subtle drumbox fills and percussive trills manifesting an insect energy for the first time here. The flute patches drifting like clouds throughout the mix. Allowing the May Be Horizon mix to claim extended 12″ status in the most subtle and elegant way possible.

This was another crisp single from Jones + Sky with three mixes that didn’t stray too far from the path of the song. My only disappointment here is that the duo usually have a tasty non-LP B-side for their single releases, but I suppose there’s always next time. In the interim, we have a typically moody slice of Synthpop that hewed closely to the group’s core values with nary a guest star this time out. Just them re-asserting their values while we wait patiently for their next full length opus. It’s streaming in the usual places if that’s your jam but if you’d like to go steady, it’s yours for £1.00 in Bandcamp or don’t forget to top up when checking out in Bandcamp. DJ hit that button!

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