Song Premiere: Kimbra, ‘Two Way Street (Damian Taylor Remix)’

Photo: Thom Kerr

With her smokey alto, layers of looped musical phrases and a myriad of quirky accompanying instruments, Kimbra’s unique sound is already an adventure for the ears. But in this Damian Talyor remix of “Two Way Street,” the producer turns the singer’s track into something strong and anthemic. The track sounds as if it were made in space, where the constant waterfall of synths cradles the echoing cry of the vocals. 

Though Taylor has worked with many musicians whose styles differ from Kimbra’s (such as Björk and Arcade Fire), he clearly knows how to tailor her track so it fits her offbeat, inventive persona. “The idea behind ‘Two Way Street’ first came to me in L.A.,” says Kimbra. “I was walking on Hollywood Blvd., and I began thinking about streets as a metaphor for love, and the song grew from there. I’m a big Björk fan and I recently met and started working with Damian Taylor. Our first collaboration is his remix, and I think it takes the song in a really exciting direction.”

The original song is from Kimbra’s Vows, which was released last month.

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